VERNON, NY (CelebrityAccess) — In a bid to engender some support with local residents, organizers of the Woodstock 50 festival and Jeffrey Gural, owner of Vernon Downs, announced plans to hold an open house ahead of the festival’s appeal of the town’s permit decision.
The open house will take place at the Vernon Downs Casino Hotel at 6:30 p.m. on Monday and from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Refreshments will be served.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for Vernon Downs and the Town of Vernon to be part of history,” said Gural, a real estate developer who also runs harness tracks at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey and Tioga Downs in southern New York. “We have long dreamed of hosting music festivals at Vernon Downs as a way of shoring up the long-term economic viability of the operation. Woodstock 50 would be the beginning of a tremendous legacy that would help secure jobs today and for future generations.”
Woodstock 50 organizers bridge-building efforts with locals also include the promise of some festival perks for residents if the event takes place. Peck said the festival is looking at establishing a committee of local residents to oversee the invitation of local vendors to the festival, as well as setting up and managing a VIP lounge for local residents and guests.
Woodstock organizers also revealed that they have assembled a team of consultants to help with planning the festival, which is scheduled to take place in 30 days. Among the consultants is Virgin Produced, the entertainment production arm of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.
Organizers have asked the town to reconsider the rejection of a permit to stage the three-day Festival at Vernon Downs on August 16-18.
The town rejected the festival’s application last week, claiming the application was incomplete and submitted well past the deadline to stage the event.
“We see the Town of Vernon as our partners in putting on this Festival,” Peck said. “We can’t do it without their help and want the Festival to be a great source of community pride. We want everyone to be able to enjoy the experience.”
