BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Organizers of a downtown African-American festival the weekend of Coors Light Festival will meet with Cincinnati city leaders to talk safety issues and begin a push for corporate sponsors this week.
Civic groups gathered Saturdayfor an all-day planning session to plot a course for the July 24-26 "Ujima Cinci-bration."
They envision a festival offering food, entertainment, vendors and an alternative to the loitering problems during past festival weekends, said Jim Clingman, co-founder of the Greater Cincinnati African-American Chamber of Commerce, which proposed the idea. The idea for a new festival was hatched by the chamber after city leaders recommended virtually closing downtown during the weekend after violence last year marred festivities.
Last week, planning began formally when Cincinnati City Council earmarked $150,000 for the Cinci-bration event.
"We've got six weeks and face a monumental task," Mr. Clingman said. He vows the project will proceed. "We are doing this to bring the city together."
Meetings so far have centered on creating a budget and organizing, he said.
He anticipates the entire festival will cost as much as $300,000, including services such as security and traffic control that were not factored into Cincinnati's $150,000 contribution.
Corporate sponsors will be courted to defray the costs, as will be festival volunteers.
Organizers -- made up of such groups as the chamber, the Urban League, Downtown Cincinnati Inc. and vendors -- hope to center the festival on Fifth Street and to include entertainment located on Fountain Square.
While planners now are considering keeping the festival open until 2:30 a.m., Mr. Clingman expects that will be a part of talks with city officials later this week.
He wants to give visitors to Cincinnati a positive image of a community coming together, rather than a closed-up downtown, he said.
