At least three New Bedford City Councilors have expressed disappointment over the 8 p.m. closing time for this year's Whaling City Festival, but Mayor Jon Mitchell told WBSM "the matter seems to be settled."

Appearing on Tim Weisberg's program on Wednesday, Mitchell said closing the festival at 9 p.m., as organizers have sought to do, increases security concerns as darkness falls over a "wide open" Buttonwood Park.

WBSM1420 via YouTube
WBSM1420 via YouTube
loading...

Mitchell said the decision to end the festival at 8 p.m. "was made by the park board" and "it's one that I support." He told Tim there was a "big fight" some 14 years ago "at a time when we closed at 9 p.m."

"I support their rationale," he said.

Mitchell was referring to a 2014 Standard-Times article reporting on the decision to set an 8 p.m. closing time for festivals and fairs held in the city parks.

New Bedford Police Union via Facebook
New Bedford Police Union via Facebook
loading...

Mitchell said the decision to move closing time from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. "was settled 14 years ago" by the park board and has been "pretty consistent over that period."

"One hour is not going to make a big difference," Mitchell said.

Get our free mobile app

Organizer Mike Sylvia said it's unfair that the Whaling City Festival is forced to close at 8 p.m. while the New Bedford Folks Festival, Day of Portugal, and the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament are allowed to remain open much later.

"Those events are easier to secure than at Buttonwood Park, you have a wide open park," Mitchell said. "That makes a big difference in terms of just maintaining security."

Townsquare Media Photo
Townsquare Media
loading...

Sylvia told me his request for a 9 p.m. closing time for the festival was approved by the New Bedford Park Board in February, and it was only a week and a half ago that he was informed of the change.

Councilors Ian Abreu, Brian Gomes, and Scott Lima have all protested the shortened hours and say festival-goers and vendors will lose out.

New Bedford's '50s Night Over the Years

Joe Jesus' '50s Night was a longtime staple of New Bedford's summer schedule with 29 straight years until road construction held it off in 2018. It came back in 2019 following Joe's passing, but it missed 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It made a triumphant return in 2022 and is set to become an annual tradition once again. Take a look at '50s Night over the years.

Lesser Known Museums of New Bedford

Everyone undoubtedly thinks of the New Bedford Whaling Museum when they look for an indoor day in the city. However, there are actually quite a few museums throughout New Bedford for a wide range of interests. We found a few you might not have explored yet that are definitely worth the trip.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420