Festival season in great shape

SANDPOINT — Unlike other festivals across the United States hurt by a slowing economy and $4 a gallon gas, The Festival at Sandpoint is in great shape.

In fact, tickets sales this year are about the same as they were a year ago when the festival set records, said Festival board president Curt Hagan.

“Gas at four bucks a gallon works in our favor,” he said. “First of all, why would you leave here in the summer?”

Instead of people leaving Sandpoint or Spokane to take extended driving vacations or fly off to Florida to vacation at Disney World, they are choosing to stay closer to home — which is translating into a positive because they are buying Festival tickets, he said.

This weekend, business owners that participated in Sandpoint Crazy Days noticed the same thing — that the event was far busier than it has been for several years.

“We are solid this year for our season,” he said. “I think we will be just fine.”

The Associated Press reported earlier this month that music and food festivals across the country have been postponed until next year. Part of the problem is related to dwindling corporate and individual sponsorships, according to The AP.

Although the Festival has lost some of last year’s corporate sponsors because of the economy, it also has picked up seven new sponsors, said Hagan, who also serves on the nonprofit’s fundraising committee.

“They’ve stepped up and I’m appreciative of that,” he said.

Interestingly enough, individual donations also have increased especially at the patron level and higher. Patron-level sponsorships cost $1,250 a pop.

This is far different than the Festival’s early years when it almost failed several times — in part because of high overhead costs related to Spokane Symphony performances, but also because of limited patron dollars.

 It also should help that the event begins a week later than in the past, adding an additional week to ticket sales. The Festival always occurs the first two full weeks in August, putting it back a bit.

Festival director Dyno Wahl said she initially was concerned that sales for the Brett Dennen and Donavon Frankenreiter on Friday, Aug. 8, but then decided that since the two appeal to a younger audience who typically purchase tickets closer to a concert date, that there was nothing to worry about.

That appears to be the case, said Hagan. More tickets were sold for that concert than any others this past weekend, he said.

In spite of the economy’s downturn, Hagan wants to reassure people that the Festival is in great shape.

He believes it is more than just a musical festival - but a “happening, as much as it is a concert series” — a community event that brings people together.

“It’s a big get-together for the community,” he said.

He points to this year’s sellout of pre-season concert series passes before the lineup was even announced in May.

Hagan said he believes this year’s Festival lineup is the best it has ever had because it has three rather than one headline act — Smokey Robinson, Wynonna Judd and Ziggy Marley.

Tickets are still available for all of the Festival’s concerts.

Information: www.festivalatsandpoint.com