With the spring 2006 return of the Veishea celebration, there may be changes to the event in hopes to make it safer. One of those changes would be relocating many of the attractions from the Campustown area.

Warren Madden, member of the Task Force on Assuring Successful Veishea and Other Student/Community Celebrations and vice president for business and finance, said the possibility of changing the venue for some Veishea events from Welch Avenue to the Central Campus area is being discussed.

“There is interest in exploring that possibility,” Madden said. “The background of the incidents and disturbances are on Welch.”

Central Campus is being considered because of its large size and more accessible parking options for those attending events, he said.

Madden said he understood why some Welch Avenue businesses would have a mixed reaction to the possible change of venue, because the celebration often brings a larger crowd to the Campustown area.

“Some of the Veishea activities prohibit their business,” he said. “They don’t always benefit. Really, it can be more of a challenge.”

Lori Vyhnalek, manager of T. Galaxy Retail, 206 Welch Ave., said she would have conflicting emotions about Veishea moving away from Campustown.

“It would be kind of sad,” she said. “It’s so nice to have everything on Welch. It’s nice for the retailers to have everything right there.”

Vyhnalek said, however, if moving the events is what it takes for Veishea to be held, she thought it would be the right move.

“[Veishea] is so important to the Iowa State community,” she said.

Not all Welch Avenue businesses have increased patronage during the Veishea celebrations, but they still enjoyed the event being held in Campustown.

“For our business, it doesn’t matter as much,” said Tim Reger, general manager of Copyworks, 105 Welch Ave. “Not a lot of those people are coming in to use the copy service. But we would lose some foot traffic. We want as much foot traffic as possible.”

Both Reger and Vyhnalek said they thought some Welch Avenue businesses would possibly create promotions, like sales or small events, to attract Veishea-goers to the stores if the main Veishea festivities were held in a different location.

“We still want to attract the people that come into town,” Reger said. “There are more families around then.”

Vyhnalek said she thought several Welch Avenue businesses may band together to create a promotion to attract people to the area.

“We could get people to just come right up the street to the Welch vendors,” she said.

Reger said he would like some of the festivities to stay in and around the Campustown area.

“Welch is a big part of campus, a big part of the atmosphere,” he said.

Madden said no decisions have been made concerning a location change for the Veishea events, but that the planners are still considering all their options.

He said alcohol policies and costs of providing the right equipment for everything to run smoothly are two issues that are still being considered in relation to a location change.

Madden said downtown Ames is also being considered as a possible site for some Veishea attractions.