Council and staff address First Fridays lineup changes after aldermen raise performer concerns

City staff told aldermen they restructured the Danville First Fridays event to center activities at Temple Plaza and that the change required moving or rescheduling several performers. "We actually completely restructured the event," the staff member said, explaining space and DJ decisions shaped the final lineup.

Aldermen asked why several groups that expected to perform were not scheduled and whether the city could do more to be inclusive. Staff said some acts were not scheduled because of space limits or insufficient responses from performers, and for one individual they cited past conduct concerns as the reason he was not booked. Aldermen urged staff to double‑check emails and communications and to provide clearer outreach so local performers are not inadvertently excluded.