Back in 2001, my wife and I went to the last “We Love Erie Days,” and it was nothing but a carnival with all out-of-town vendors. It wasn't a family environment anymore. There was nothing about the event that was about Erie except for the name. People forget [that for the first few years of CelebrateErie] we had the hall of inventions, where half a locomotive from GE was displayed, and then the hall of immigration, where we gave all the ethnic groups a chance to display. All the food vendors were from Erie ... Even the music ... This was all designed to remind people who we are as a people – kind of along the same lines of what they’re doing now with the Perry 200. The year after I left office, I knew CelebrateErie was going down the tubes when the lead act was the Beach Boys. I mean, I like them, but that wasn't what it was supposed to be about. Washed-up acts milking a few bucks. It was supposed to be up-and-coming acts, acts that were still creative and still contributing. And that’s all evaporated. None of the extras are in there. ... I wonder why they just don’t change the name back to “We Love Erie Days.
Former Erie mayor Rick Filippi emerges from his "self-imposed exile" to discuss with the Erie Reader his feelings on how CelebrateErie has changed since its inception.