LEESBURG, Fla. — After several years of running Bikefest, Leesburg leaders are facing a six-figure dilemma: they only have enough cash on hand to run the event for one more year.
For years, the city hoped the return of the crowds to pre-pandemic levels would finally make the event financially viable again.
That proved to be untrue as the city faced a $70,000 loss for the 2025 rally, despite Bikefest generating an estimated $43 million in economic activity for Lake County.
“We had a grand time, weather was awesome, the crowds looked to be pretty reminiscent of old times, but we also had a loss,” City Manager Al Minner reported.
Of the $257,000 the nonprofit that previously ran Bikefest turned over to the city when it dissolved, just $114,000 remains, staff said.
On their recommendation, commissioners voted Monday to contract with an outside vendor to manage Bikefest’s alcohol sales next spring, which they said was the model Orlando and Mt. Dora use for their biggest events.
City leaders hope the vendor – which has not been selected – will be able to reduce the cost of running the event, which currently stands at almost $717,000.
Some of those savings will come from items like tents and insurance that the vendor won’t have to pay outright for the one weekend. Another big saving will be the $50,000 the city gives to local nonprofits like the Fire Union, the Rotary, veterans’ groups and Leadership Lake to run the concessions.
Minner said if all goes well, the event will generate $50,000 to $100,000 after the vendor takes its cut of the revenue. The city can dole the money out to the nonprofit groups or use it to cover police overtime that’s baked into the annual budget.
However, there are risks. Minner said the city will have to negotiate the price of alcohol so that bars and restaurants don’t get undercut and visitors don’t feel like they’re being gouged.
“If we are the sponsors and beer goes from $6 to $12, we are going to get murdered on Facebook,” he mused.
Commissioners also worried the vendor might try to fudge the numbers to increase its own profits and discussed different ways of preventing that from happening.
Some audience members weren’t impressed.
“Y’all don’t have a plan, there’s no plan,” one man complained. “I would consider turning it all over to somebody else.”
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