New Bedford Mayor Demands Daylight-Only Hours for Whaling City Festival After Stabbing

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — As the Whaling City Festival ponders what security upgrades to make following the triple stabbing that occurred outside the festival last weekend, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell wants to see the event continue but is seeking to limit it to only daylight hours and move it from its longstanding home at Buttonwood Park.

Mitchell addressed how he sees things moving forward with the Whaling City Festival on Wednesday during his weekly appearance on WBSM’s SouthCoast Now.

"I can tell you that there's no way we're going to allow it to stay open after dark, for starters,” he told host Chris McCarthy.

READ MORE: Juvenile in Custody in Connection with Triple Stabbing

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A History of Hours Reductions for the Whaling City Festival

Mitchell detailed how the Whaling City Festival had an 8 p.m. closing time when he took office in 2012, because of an incident of violence that had taken place a few years prior. Then-Mayor Scott Lang had cut the closing time back to 8 p.m..

Mitchell said a few years ago, former New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the recommendation to allow the festival to remain open until 9 p.m., noting there hadn’t been any recent incidents, the crowds were smaller than in the past, and the organizers were having a tough time making their numbers with the early closing time.

“On that recommendation, I relented, and it went back to 8,” he said. “Fool me once, so…”

It's not the first time the hours have been reduced during Mitchell's tenure, however. In 2021, the New Bedford Health Department requested a 6 p.m. closing time to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, the festival was able to negotiate an 8 p.m. closing time instead. Then in 2022, the festival was ordered to close at 8 p.m., despite having already been approved for a 9 p.m. closing, due to concerns of gang violence.

Mitchell Wants the Whaling City Festival Relocated

In addition to ordering an 8 p.m. closing going forward, Mitchell said he also plans to meet with Police Chief Jason Thody, the Department of Public Infrastructure, and the Park Board to discuss the festival moving to another location.

“Is Buttonwood Park a place where you can adequately secure an event? Are there other places in the city where this could be held?” Mitchell said. “There aren’t a lot of options. There may be a couple of places in the North End.”

He also said that having the festival in Buttonwood “chews up the park pretty well.”

“It’s long been a problem with trucks driving on the lawn, creating ruts, and then we reinforce them, go back and plant grass,” he said. “It was worse this year because the ground was wet when they set up, but it’s not a good look for the park. Going back and planting grass every year doesn't permanently fix it, so we're going to take a look at that as well. That's a legitimate concern.”

Mitchell: It's Got to Be Safe

Mitchell said he is understanding of the fact that for many New Bedford kids, the Whaling City Festival is their only chance to experience that type of event all summer.

“It's not as simple as throwing it all out, because there are a lot of kids who don't have the opportunity to go to amusement parks,” he said. “I would like to figure out a way it can continue, but it’s got to be safe.”

Added Security Measures and Potential Admission Fee

On Monday, Whaling City Festival President Michael Sylvia called into McCarthy’s show and said the festival organizers take safety “very seriously” and are looking at potential upgrades. City Councilor Brian Gomes, chair of the council’s public safety committee, is also seeking a discussion before that committee about how to make the festival safer.

READ MORE: Whaling City Festival Organizers Looking to Increase Security Following Triple Stabbing

“Going forward, I was speaking with the carnival owners about security measures we could possibly put in place, things like fencing, cameras, metal detectors, security teams to work alongside police possibly, if police are open to that idea, wanding, checking bags,” he said. “Anything we can do, we take safety very seriously. We do this for the families of this city.”

Sylvia conceded that implementing such measures may also mean implementing a nominal fee to enter the festival. That might be even more necessary if Mitchell isn’t going to allow the festival to stay open for that 8 p.m. hour, cutting back on how much money it makes during a prime hour.

“We'll make sure that whatever we do, whatever requirements we impose, are necessary to ensure safety,” Mitchell said. “If that means they can't make enough money to be viable, then unfortunately, that's it. But I can tell you we're not going to be allowing them to close at 9 o'clock anymore.”

Reaction to Mayor Mitchell's Statements

On The Tim Weisberg Show Thursday morning, multiple calls came in responding to Mitchell's comments.

First, a past president and vice president called to share insight into other battles with the City of New Bedford over the years:

Then, current Whaling City President Mike Sylvia called in to share this thoughts:

And Councilor Gomes called to weigh in on the festival's history, what it means to the city, and to respond to Mitchell: