AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin summertime tradition could have new life just weeks after being canceled.
Officials announced in January that Blues on the Green wouldn't be held in 2024 because the free event was becoming a difficult task.
However, a group of Austin City Council members sponsored a resolution on Monday that would ask city leaders to work with the event's organizers. The idea is to co-sponsor the event to keep it free and to use local vendors.
"We have a responsibility to assist our live music scene," Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison said. "Especially as they become more financially vulnerable, even with increasing engagement from our residents."
Blues on the Green dates back more than 30 years, going from shows at The Arboretum to Zilker Park, with Austin's booming skyline acting as the event's backdrop. But event organizers said in January that rising costs were holding them back.
"But without admission fees or bar sales, it's becoming more challenging every year to produce an event that's grown to this size and still keep it free and open to the public," officials wrote in January. "Unfortunately, this year, the rising costs present too big of a hurdle."
The event was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic before returning in 2021. Last year's show only featured two nights of performances.