Country music festival could bring concerts back to city side of Huntington Beach

The Huntington Beach City Council could revive full-scale concerts on the beach when it hears an applicant’s request Monday to host a country music festival on the south side of the pier.

Bolsa Chica and Huntington Beach state beaches routinely hold concerts but the last one on city-owned sand took place following the U.S. Open of Surfing in 2013, when a rowdy crowd vandalized downtown businesses and injured several police officers.

Activated Events founder Steve Thacher proposes a Country Harvest Festival Concert from noon to 9 p.m. Oct. 7. Singer-songwriter Billy Currington would headline a bill with multiple live acts, as well as line dancing, “fall-themed” food and a pumpkin patch. General admission would begin at $35.

City staff asks that the council take into consideration noise complaints from residents from previous shows at Bolsa Chica and Huntington state beaches before giving direction on how to proceed with the Country Harvest Festival.

While a concert on the city-side of the beach could help local business generate additional revenue, the staff report lists three other weekend events taking place in October. Another festival, which would include live music, is also seeking city approval on Oct. 7, but that event would take place on the pier itself.

The major hotels along the waterfront are not opposed to the country festival as a pilot program and are requesting information in advance to help minimize impacts on their guests, according to the staff report.

Since the 2013 unrest, the U.S. Open of Surfing has scaled back by eliminating concerts, the expo and related activities, according to the staff report.

Live entertainment is allowed as part of some events at the city beach, such as Surfing Sundays at Pier Plaza and Beachside Summer Fest, but city staff say music is part of overall events and isn’t offered as a concert in a “ticketed fashion.”

Plaque dedication at Patriot Point

In other business, Councilwoman Barbara Delgleize is proposing the city purchase and install a plaque dedicated to Zach Martinez, a Vietnam veteran who raised the American flag on a bluff above the ocean on Memorial Day 2010 and created Patriot Point. Martinez died earlier this month.

Patriot Point is located along Pacific Coast Highway, north of Goldenwest Street. The memorial serves as a place of reflection for those who served their country and a reference point for surfers, joggers and beachgoers.

Temporary ban on bike and scooter sharing services

Councilman Patrick Brenden plans to propose a temporary ban on short-term bicycle and scooter rental services in order to discuss how other cities are regulating them.

Transportation rental companies, such as Lime and Mobike, allow guests to unlock and rent bicycles or scooters using a mobile app throughout various cities.

Brenden said people ride into communities and drop off their vehicles in areas that may not have regulations in place. Some may not know the rules of riding a bicycle and create a public nuisance or safety concern, he added.

“I don’t want to be caught off guard as a city where we’re unprepared to have a program in place that has the correct amount of regulation,” he said.

Brenden is requesting the city manager and staff hold a study session on the shared services within 60 days.

Monday’s City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the Civic Center at 2000 Main St.

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