OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — All signs point to the Taste of Omaha likely returning to Elmwood Park for one more year, Event Director Mike Mancuso told 3 News Now on Friday.
It's been held there for the last two years because of construction at the longtime site: Heartland of America Park. It would have been held at Elmwood if it wasn't canceled in 2020, too.
The revamped park is set to become the new home. But the renovation won't be complete for Taste of Omaha 2023.
But neighborhood groups wanted and expected to see the event out of Elmwood this year. Dundee-Memorial Park Association President John Ashford said they were promised 2022 would be the last year. Jen Bauer, president of the Aksarben/Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association, called it an understanding. Both were surprised.
"It takes the park away from the people for nearly two full weeks," said Jim McGee, Dundee-Memorial Park Association Board Member said. "It's basically an outdoor reserve. It's not meant to be ... for a carnival."
Opponents like McGee said the event causes damage to the park, which dates back to the 19th Century. It's not a good fit, they say.
"This one-year extension, considering what's existed, was what we deemed would be the fair and best thing to do for us supporting the event for the promoter," Omaha Parks Director Matt Kalcevich told 3 News Now. "Certainly, I know the neighborhood has their concerns about it continuing to be at Elmwood and we want to give assurances that we believe the promoter is in the best place to take care of the park having learned what they have over the last two years."
Kalcevich said they were working toward 2022 being the last year at Elmwood.
"Some different factors and information has come up in the last few months that have really put us back in a spot here to try and be fair to our partner (Mancuso/Taste of Omaha) ... and still address the long-term concerns of both the neighborhood and ourselves of not having Elmwood be a consistent event site and taking care of things as best we can for all parties right now."
He said a fee was paid in 2021 for damage to the park. He said changes were made in year two, which will carry over to year three, that showed improvements in how events are held at Elmwood Park.
"They definitely have been sensitive and we've appreciated that they did some mitigation things in year two that will be part of year three as well as some other steps forward as we learn from all events that we do from one year to the next on how to improve and protect everything we're responsible for," said Kalcevich.
Omaha Parks Foundation Director Tiffany Regan told 3 News Now they are opposed to a return to Elmwood.
"Our goal is to help the parks, promote the parks, preserve the parks, improve and maintain them," Regan said. "And with large events that have large equipment, a lot of traffic, it's hard."
She said the trees are often more than a hundred years old.
"While we're totally in support of communal events, it's just not a good fit for a venue," Regan said.
City Councilmember Danny Begley said the email to neighborhood members from the city this week "blindsided" him. He wants another space to be found.
Mancuso told 3 News Now he will support an Elmwood Park betterment project after this year's event as a "thank you" to the surrounding community.
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