Popular First Fridays Event In Oakland Faces Turmoil, Vendors Worry About Future
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – What started out 10 years ago as a block party, the "First Fridays" event now takes up much of Telegraph Avenue and attracts thousands of people to Oakland.
"It's an opportunity for the community to come together and that's the beauty of it," said organizer Shari Godinez.
But behind the scenes, the non-profit that organizes the First Fridays is going through a tough transitional period.
Some vendors worry the event may stop. "I feel that it's lacking the organizational structure that it needs to survive at this moment," said vendor James Whitehead.
Earlier this year, the non-profit terminated its contract with its event coordinator. That coordinator is now suing for unpaid wages, worth about $20,000.
Some of the vendors claim in recent months, the street fest has been poorly run. "The higher booth fees, the lack of structure and the chaos around it, we could probably find other things to do," Whitehead said.
Godinez admits the lack of money has made putting on the event a big challenge. "First Friday has to continue, it has to, no matter what," Godinez said.
Aside from the legal trouble, the organization's treasurer a few weeks ago abruptly resigned after claiming financial mismanagement. But the organizer says it's not true.
"One person creating a lot of drama. Our board is very united," Godinez said.
On top of the different personalities, there have been recent thefts of cash and audio equipment that have hurt the struggling non-profit.
Organizers said they plan to look for a new event coordinator and makes some changes internally so First Fridays can survive.
