The Chautauqua Lake Pops enjoyed 20 years of “Bringing the Arts to the People” through their Bemus Bay Pops concert series, lakefront at the Italian Fisherman restaurant, and most recently at Mayville’s Lakeside Park, in 2019 and 2021. The 2020 concert series was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.
The Pops did its best to bring a successful program to the Mayville community for three years, however was met with resistance from many fronts. They do not want to be where they are not welcome, and cannot afford to continue sustaining financial loss and deal with continual conflicts. There were many hurdles to clear for their most recent 2021 season.
In an effort to continue the series, the Pops has put out feelers to Jamestown, behind the National Comedy Center; to Celoron at their community park; and as far away as Buffalo. Both Long Point State Park and Midway State Park have been considered as possible locations. Bemus Point has also expressed an interest in having the series “back in Bemus”.
“I’d love to see it go back to Bemus where it started,” says Dan Dalpra, who created the Bemus Point Pops with his wife, Sue, when they owned the Italian Fisherman restaurant. Dalpra further commented: “I’ve talked to the mayor of Bemus Point (Bryan Dahlberg) at great length, but the question remains…how do we fund the program? (The annual budget for the Pops series is $350,000 at minimum) The shows are expensive. They’re really good shows. They come from all over the country. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, the Pops depends solely on donations and sponsors. Ticket sales alone cannot cover costs.”
To succeed, the Pops requires a long-term commitment of support. A detailed economic impact study showed the Pops series brought over $13,000,000 to the Chautauqua Lake area. These dollars were spread among retail business owners, restaurants as well as hotels & motels – everyone benefited from the Pop’s summer concert series.
In reflection, Dalpra adds: “It was easier when we owned the restaurant and could use some of the regular staff to help run it. Bemus Point Pops started as a rooftop Labor Day concert in 1998. Five years later, we moved off the roof and onto a floating stage with a summer-long series of concerts, expanding each year and never looking back!”
When the Dalpras sold the restaurant, now named The Fish, they retained the Pops and spent a year looking at various places to relocate the show. After settling on Mayville, the Bemus Point Pops became Chautauqua Lake Pops in 2019. Under the contract the Pops originally signed with the Village of Mayville, they would pay $1 for the first two years. Then in the third year the entertainment venue would pay $2 per ticket sold for the first 2,000 tickets and $1 per ticket sold beyond that. The Pops recently paid the Village, based on their signed contract.
A lawsuit was filed against the Pops and Village of Mayville by two summer residents from Ohio and one resident of Mayville charging concerts were held in 2019 prior to receiving requisite state permits for the floating stage and “produced excessive, dangerous and noxious levels of noise.” A subsequent concert was canceled when two band members tested positive for COVID. Dalpra requested a renegotiation and extension of the contract because of the lost year but received pushback from the Mayville Village Board. There was also pushback on the original agreement that allowed nearby bike trails to be closed during concerts.
Weeks of delays were caused by these individuals: Rick Syper, Mayville resident (business owner R&R Property Services) and Mayville Village Board Trustee. Sharon Smead, Mayville resident and member of the Mayville Village Planning Board. Tom & Maria Arko, Dewittville summer residents (business owner Eight Day Sound Systems, Inc.Cleveland) William Kinney, Point Chautauqua summer resident (business owner Summit Petroleum Inc. Ohio) The loss of revenue to the entire region and the restrictions to the boating community were totally inappropriate and damaging.
Looking back, Dalpra said: “People who came loved the Pops, we never had any issues in Bemus. People want to be by a lake. This is a resort area; this is where people come to relax and enjoy their summers!”
Nevertheless, after consulting with the Pops Board, sponsors and ticket holders, the Pops concluded they “could not find a path toward success by continuing the program in Mayville.”
“We hope this is not the end of the Chautauqua Lake Pops.”, Dalpra said. The group will continue to look for a new location, with the goal of keeping it on Chautauqua Lake if at all possible!
Additional information can be found on their Facebook page: www.chautauqualakepops.com and on the web site: www.floatingstage.com