Comedy festival packed Citadel Hill, but vendors say it didn't pay the bills
Thousands of people packed the side of Citadel Hill in Halifax to watch comedians including Matt Rife at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival last month. (Submitted by Paula Yeates)Social SharingSome food truck operators who worked at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival in Halifax are calling for a boycott of the festival, saying they're owed thousands of dollars even as organizers are already selling tickets for next year.
Thousands of people packed Citadel Hill's Garrison Grounds from Aug. 6 to 9 to watch comedians including Matt Rife, Nikki Glaser and Fortune Feimster.
Trixstar, the production company behind the festival, hosts the same event in several cities across the country.
This was Michelle Kerfoot Bernava's fourth time working at the Halifax shows, which she said are usually a highlight of her summer. She drives her food truck, Mama K's, from Moncton, N.B., to take part.
But now she's one of three food truck owners who say they're owed a combined total of more than $60,000 β money they fear they will never see.
"Basically [the company] is saying don't contact us, we'll contact you when we have any information in regards to your account," Kerfoot Bernava said in an interview with CBC News.
Michelle Kerfoot Bernava and her husband, Jason Bernava, have taken their business, Mama K's Food Truck, to the comedy festival four years in a row. (Submitted by Michelle Kerfoot Bernava)In early September, Trixstar abruptly cancelled the festival in Mississauga, Ont., with just three days' notice, saying the decision was made after "careful consideration" and the event would be rescheduled.
Headliner John Mulaney confirmed in a Sept. 8 Facebook post that the decision came entirely from the producers.
The cancellation sent Kerfoot Bernava into a tailspin.
"Red flags went off to me. Something's not right, something's going on," said Kerfoot Bernava, whose truck operated inside the festival's VIP area, where meal costs were included in the admission price.
Rather than collecting payment directly from customers, she said her contract called for the festival to keep 30 per cent of her sales and issue her payment for the rest within a day of receiving an invoice.
Kerfoot Bernava tracked her sales, which were nearly $29,000 over four days. But she said when her money still hadn't arrived weeks later, she told Trixstar it was in breach of contract, and she's now demanding the full amount.
"That amount of money can absolutely wipe out a small business, beyond a doubt," she said.
"We are lucky that we're in our sixth season when this happened. I can truly say if this happened in our second season that we would not be open now."
CBC News made repeated attempts to reach the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival and Trixstar.
Jonathan Norman estimates it cost him $1,000 in gas to take his converted fire truck to the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival in Halifax. (Serious Smoke Food Truck/Facebook)Jonathan Norman also drove from Moncton to participate in the festival for the first time.
He owns the Serious Smoke Food Truck, and parked in the concierge area where he says people paid $500 a ticket, which included food as well.
Because he was required to use the festival's point-of-sale system, Norman also collected no money from customers. Because of that, he doesn't know his exact bill, but estimates it's at least $14,000 before tips.
"We contemplated talking to a lawyer but then the lawyer gets paid and I don't see if we're going to be able to recoup much."
Norman said he made multiple attempts to reach the festival's finance department to no avail.
He said he received a call from his point of contact on Monday, but the employee offered no payment update β asking only that he cancel his interview with CBC News.
"There's been no reassurance whatsoever that we're even getting paid," he said. "They had record attendance on the Friday night that Matt Rife was there. They said it was over 22,000 people. They had our money. People had already paid for this stuff."
A third food truck owner, who did not want to be interviewed, told CBC News he's owed more than $19,000.
Because Citadel Hill is federal land managed by Parks Canada, Norman wants the agency to release the festival's insurance information so he can file a claim.
He also wants next year's event in the city to be cancelled pending payment of vendors and is calling on people to boycott to show their support for small businesses.
"If I went to a venue and was supposed to be paying a commission and didn't pay my commission, I wouldn't be allowed back the following year, that's pretty simple."
Parks Canada said in a statement that it's up to vendors to deal with the company directly. It said while dates for the 2027 festival have been announced, licensing discussions with Trixstar are ongoing.
When CBC reached out to the festival, some emails received automated replies, including one from Trixstar's finance department.
"Due to the volume of inquiries we are receiving, we cannot provide individual updates on account balances or payment timing," the email said. "If there is an update relevant to your account, we will contact you directly."
Calls to phone numbers, including one direct line to an employee, went to the same pre-recorded message with no option to leave a voicemail.
"We're either here helping another guest, untangling festival logistics, or keeping the inbox from becoming the opening act," it said.
Kerfoot Bernava and Norman are now accepting extra bookings this year. Both said they would typically be winding down their summer businesses, but instead need to work up until the Christmas holidays to make up for the losses.
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Carolyn Ray is a videojournalist who has reported out of three provinces and two territories, and is now based in Halifax. You can reach her at Carolyn.Ray@cbc.ca
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