This is about my 6th, 28 day Event quest.. (not counting smaller ones like Valentines or Hallowe'en) ..
I've learnt to keep my expectations low about finishing and winning all 3 grand prizes.. at certain stages it gets ruinously expensive to even try :
I try to keep my city's development in line with the quest and not vv.. in other words.. if I hit a request for "gain 20 relics" , I hope I'm in the middle of a tournament, or not too far off..
I take account of the platinum leaf/ gems of knowledge quest list.. it's nice to know what's coming if it's 5 x 2 day production runs.. you can anticipate and if you have space/ pop/ resources.. set up for it, without it impinging on your "normal" game plan.
I have to say that I like the "new prizes".. the instants.. particularly the ones that "reduce time".. ie knock 5, 8 or 14 hrs off the time taken to build, produce.. and have finally learnt, that no matter what the daily culture prize is.. I have to look at it, up and down, like a gift horse, and see if I don't want to save my "nuts" until the next prize..
Although the 140 chest gives "better value" (actually, look at the stats.. a greater chance of winning the daily prize) .. sometimes getting kps, and shorter spells, lower % coin falls, has been better value.. the downside.. a bigger chance of getting less useful runes or shards.. and of course, how much you are going to put in to make up for lost if you spend all your "nuts" and tomorrow's daily is the most useful to have come along in 3 days..
If you reached lvl 3 grand prize, cudos.. but by next Feb the bling is going to look tired, sad and out of place in your city
if you'd put the same effort into developing your city you might have got a lot further.. Use the event quests the same way you use the normal ones.. if you've the patience. This is a very slow game, and no Finish line in sight