Red Flannel Festival board members asked the city to stop using this festival logo, after the city said the festival must pay full price for municipal services.
CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. (WZZM)- It may already be too late, but a town meeting is now planned in Cedar Springs to discuss the dispute over the Red Flannel Festival's logo.
"Everybody is upset, everybody is frustrated," says town hall organizer Steve McBride."
Last week, Cedar Springs stopped calling itself the Red Flannel Town and started removing the festival logo from all city property. That seemed to settle a trademark dispute with the festival board, but now more talks are planned. City and festival leaders say they will attend the town meeting McBride is organizing.
"We've been at this over 16 months, trying to find a resolution," says Cedar Springs Mayor Charlie Watson.
"Whatever the city wants to happen now can happen," says Red Flannel Festival Board President Michele Andres. "We are certainly willing to talk to them."
The red flannel logo was on many city owned items including police cars, stationary, street signs and trash cans. The festival asked Cedar Springs to stop using the red flannel trademark when the city decided they wouldn't give the festival any discount on municipal services during the event. They had been charging half price; about $4,000.
"Is it worth $4,000 a year for us to have use of that logo when the only thing we do with that logo is advertise for the festival?" Asks Mayor Watson.
"We believe our identity, our brand for 73 years, is worth something," says Andres. "We would think the city would think it's worth at least half of in-kind services."
The town hall meeting to discuss the red flannel flap is August 24th at 5:30 p.m. at Cedar Springs High School.