First Friday scales back to its roots for slower months

By Kristen Peterson

Friday, June 5, 2009 | 2 a.m.

If you notice something oddly familiar about tonight’s First Friday, then you’ve probably been around a few years.

The downtown arts event is going old school. No mass of tents at Colorado Avenue and Casino Center Boulevard. No stages blasting rock music over crowds lined up at food vendors.

Funding problems are causing Whirlygig, the nonprofit organization running the event, to scale back considerably. Founder Cindy Funkhouser has been seeking money, including private donations, but not enough has come in to keep the festival going at its recent pace.

Festival costs are in excess of $13,000 a month for barricades, stages, power lighting and permits. The city, which is a large supporter of the event, contributing $80,000 a year, now concentrates that amount on six months, when crowds are largest, rather than 12. It had hoped Whirlygig would grow into a self-sustaining organization.

First Friday started in 2002 as an art crawl, or monthly block party, that included downtown galleries and businesses. Art galleries were open. Musicians, sometimes just a cellist, would perform on sidewalks next to psychics and poets or strolling performers. But crowds grew from a few hundred to as many as 10,000, requiring barricades, Metro officers and special permits.

Fencing was erected around the Funk House part of the festival and a $2 admission charge was added.

Tonight’s First Friday will have visual artists, musicians, dancers and other performers back on the sidewalks and on private property. Dino’s bar will be serving beer. The Trolley service will still be shuttling visitors among downtown locations, including the Arts Factory.

Some downtown business and gallery owners have said frequently over the years that First Friday needed to scale back, that it had gotten too big and out of hand.

Funkhouser says she wants to get back to presenting the large festival. Her husband, Rick Dominguez, is in charge of music. The event needs the large attractions to draw crowds to help pay for the cost, but can’t afford to fund the larger festival.

“We’re just kind of winging it,” Funkhouser says. “I’m just kind of at the point where this is what it is.”