Bemidji Water Carnival Location Causes Controversy

Since the Bemidji Jaycees announced that the summer water carnival would be downtown this year, the group has received some backlash. Some area businesses are concerned about parking and what the blocked off streets could mean in the area.

City manager Nate Mathews said that when the Jaycees first moved the carnival to the event center in 2015, many businesses complained about the change in location.

We reached out to some of the business owners who expressed concerns but none of them wanted to be on camera. One of the store managers told Lakeland News that they didn’t know where their employees would be able to park and how they could get in and out for deliveries.

The Jaycees have received the feedback and are looking to make the best decision for everyone.

The city and Jaycees are working with the Downtown Business Alliance to determine what people are looking for. The DBA sent out a survey today to gather perspectives on the issue.

Nate Mathews says that if people have concerns that they should contact him or their city council member.

The Jaycees say that they will wait for the survey results before making any changes the the carnival location.