SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian Municipal Airport will be the site of this year’s Latin Fest, not Riverview Park, which had originally been approved.
Sebastian Charter Junior High’s officials agreed to relocate the annual fund-raiser after the Sebastian City Council narrowly approved it for the park earlier this month.
The new venue will allow the city to showcase the new hangar with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, along with the school’s festival.
Airplanes and antique cars are expected to be on display, further expanding on the event, which before this year had been held at the Indian River County Fairgrounds.
“I was a little apprehensive,” Sebastian Charter Junior High Board President John Rivera told the council when he was first approached about changing the venue. He wanted to hold the event at Riverview Park because of its visibility on US 1.
Once he realized the school would be able to expand on the Latin theme of the event by bringing in the aviation aspect, he was sold.
“It’s a lot being tied into the event,” Rivera said, which he added would make the festival bigger, better and more successful.
The change of venue came at the request of Councilwoman Andrea Coy, who recognized the concerns Vice Mayor Don Wright raised during the initial discussion of using Riverview Park. During that discussion, Wright questioned the availability of parking and size of the event.
“I commend you for working with the staff to make the change,” Wright told Rivera.
The Sebastian City Council approved the use of the municipal airport for the event with a 4-1 vote.
Councilman Richard Gillmor voted in dissent, explaining that he objected to there being alcohol sales at a school fundraiser.
Rivera explained that the free community event needs to make money somehow – and alcohol was one way of doing just that. The volunteers from the Clambake Festival who serve the alcohol during that community event would be on hand to serve the beer at the Latin Fest.
Airport Director Joe Griffin said staff would work with the school to come up with a final plan for alcohol sales, noting that the council had expressed interest in having a “beer corral” or other such enclosed area for consumption.
“There are a number of possibilities,” Griffin said.
Sebastian Charter Junior High’s Latin Fest will be held Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and serves as a fundraiser to help the school build its new, permanent schools structure on its current campus on Wave Street.
