05/22/2026
To the members of our community:
Our public statement was initially going to be professionally worded, lacking emotion and very fact-forward. While we will still provide this for you, the humans behind Dixon’s Action Team are devastated, and it now seems appropriate to communicate that to you all.
Grillin & Chillin is organized and hosted by Dixon’s Action Team, a Non Profit Organization. The event has become Dixon’s largest event, where we host something for everyone to enjoy. With attendance in the tens of thousands, visitors come from surrounding areas to enjoy a day of fun, community, and so much more.
Proceeds from the event are donated back into our community - homeless veteran benefit assistance, animal rescue, youth sports sponsorships, toy drives, veteran cemetery wreath project, food pantries, college scholarships, and so much more.
While we cannot discuss the legal matters in too much detail, yes - Solano County, City of Dixon, and Dixon’s Action Team are facing a lawsuit from last year’s event.
Organizations with huge infrastructure, such as the city and county, have resources and financial means that make this type of thing “no big deal,” but for a Non Profit Organization, the impact is devastating.
In the recent statement made by the City of Dixon, they stated that they were notified of the event cancelation after the decision was made. This is true. Our organization was notified by the City of Dixon’s legal council that we were financially responsible for the city’s legal fees, in addition to our own. It was made very clear to us that we are not on the same team, and the city will not provide financial support to overcome this obstacle.
As members of the Dixon community, running a Non Profit Organization that provides incredible sales to our downtown businesses, showcases other small businesses, brings community together, and generates a significant amount of revenue for the city in general, with zero financial or personal gain for any of our board members, we were hopeful that the city, business owners, and the community would rally together to help bring this amazing event to life, despite the obstacles we are facing.
After receiving a tender letter, asking Dixon’s Action Team to cover the City of Dixon’s legal fees, we quickly realized we did not have the support in which we’d hoped.
While this legal matter has just recently surfaced publicly, it has been ongoing for months. Dixons Action Team received zero contact from the city members, no offer of support - silence. We were working tirelessly to bring this year’s event to life, while the city was sending us a bill.
Sometimes, saying nothing is actually saying something.
In the city’s statement, they explain they are “proud to support community events like Grillin-n-Chillin,” and this has proven to be true. Within just the past few days, a business owner within the community has decided to replicate Grillin & Chillin, and create a very close copy of our event. This is wonderful. The community will have a fun day to attend a car show and cook off, a place to synergistically blend family fun and financial boost to the downtown businesses.
Permit processes that typically require 120+ days to obtain, have been granted overnight. An event that we spend 8-10 months out of the year organizing will be thrown together in a month, and the financial benefit for downtown businesses and the city will be outstanding!
The City of Dixon is proud to support these events, so much so that they will bend the protocol for people to ensure that it still happens, with zero support to the organization who has brought it to life all these years. The difference is, the proceeds will no longer be donated back into our community, but will go towards the Christmas Tree Lighting.
The event has such an impact on the city and its businesses that it doesn’t seem to matter who hosts it, or how it happens, as long as it happens.
Dixon’s Action Team had no choice but to cancel this year’s event. With no support, this type of thing will end a Non Profit Organization. Every penny raised to make this event happen is now being used towards legal fees, and there is simply nothing leftover for us to also make Grillin & Chillin happen.
To our community - we are heartbroken by the lack of support from the city in which we have sacrificed so much to help. We are heartbroken by the disappointment we’ve caused by not being able to bring Grillin & Chillin to life another year. We are heartbroken that there are people who capitalize on other people’s worst moments, and we are heartbroken that the event that once benefitted countless organizations, businesses and people will now become another event to benefit very specific endeavors.
We apologize for not producing a statement sooner. We apologize for not providing the reasons why Grillin & Chillin was canceled. Our goal was to deal with this legal matter behind the scenes, but the community deserves answers, and we hope this was able to provide some insight.
