Funtastic officials asked the players what they wanted, and they listened.
In an attempt to offer a one-stop-shop for all things Funtastic, Sports Society President Rob Ellis and Vernon Mayor and Funtastic Managing Executive Director Akbal Mund announced the return of the annual slo-pitch tournament and music festival’s host hotel, this year being the Village Green Hotel.
“We’re just really excited to have the hotel on board,” Ellis said at a press conference outside the Village Green Hotel Thursday morning. “It enables (people) to have a face to answer questions right directly in town.”
The hotel, Ellis said, will have all festival information on hand for participants or those who are interested in the event.
“We’re really excited to have everyone here,” said Peter Kaz, Village Green Hotel manager of special services.
An added bonus for players who visit the festival from out of town, Ellis said, is the Village Green Hotel has abundant amenities available within walking distance, including the hotel restaurant, pub and nearby shopping centre.
“We’re excited to bring a lot of people to the community,” Ellis said.
The 34th annual Funtastic Slo-Pitch Tournament and Music Festival will run June 29-July 2. More than 215 teams participate in Vernon, with an additional 100 teams taking part in satellite locations of Armstrong, Enderby and Port Alberni. The lineup for the coinciding music festival will be announced shortly.
“We’ve just fine-tuned the last few acts as of last night,” he said.
In attempt to keep the long-time running festival fresh, Ellis said more announcements will come, including the grants announcement expected in the spring.
“Expect minor changes every year. You have to stay with the current market,” Ellis said. “When ball teams come in, they want new stuff.”
And, with the help of the community and Funtastic partners and sponsors, Ellis said it’s all about putting on the best event possible.
“You can’t run a community event like this without everybody on board,” Ellis said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun this year.”
Related: Funtastic announces co-managers
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