Shows, fans help Festival rock to success

SANDPOINT — A barrage of fireworks set to the strains of Beethoven brought the 31st year of the Festival at Sandpoint to a close Sunday.

Thanks to a solid turnout and a varied lineup of talented, high-profile artists, 2013 is going down as a year to remember in Festival history, according to executive director Dyno Wahl. As with all years, the season was not without its challenges, but she said cooperation between local businesses, public services and residents resulted in another spectacular two weeks of music.

“I think we definitely did well,” Wahl said. “This was a very successful season — we’ll be in the black this year.”

Ticket sales are still being calculated, but based on initial projections, Wahl believes the 2012 season outperformed 2013 in the first week, while the opposite was true in the second week. For comparison, four shows sold out last year, while two — Steve Miller Band and the Avett Brothers — sold out this season.

Wahl believes weather played a significant factor in ticket sales the first week of the season. The Aug. 2 Cake show, for instance, was preceded by downpours throughout the day, but fortunately, the rain dissipated once people turned out for the show. Similarly, the showers returned for the Sunday family concert two days later, sending many attendees scrambling for shelter. The potential for bad weather may have caused some — particularly locals on the fence about attending a particular show — to stay home, Wahl said.

“The weather was really the only major downside this season,” she added.

Plenty of other improvements rolled around this year that provided extra boosts in revenue, according to Wahl. Sponsorships, merchandising and alcohol sales were higher than ever before, while concessions enjoyed solid sales throughout the season.

The festival also succeeded in maintaining good relationships with the community. According to Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon, the department didn’t receive any complaints about noise or disturbances. That’s an improvement from last year, when some hardcore Festival fans chose to camp out in public parks for the first shot at the numbered line system. As with any major event involving beer, wine and cocktails, alcohol-related crimes are always a concern, but at six DUIs and two or three individuals brought in for detox over the weekend, the numbers were nothing unexpected, Coon added.

“There were no surprises this year, and that’s always a good thing,” he said.

There’s very little rest for the weary before it’s time to start planning all over again, according to Wahl. In a few weeks, she departs to Los Angeles for a conference, where she’ll work with talent agents and other event planners to set up acts for next year. By correlating with nearby communities like Billings, Mont., concert event planners can lower artist costs for everyone. Wahl is confident that with a little hard work, next year’s lineup should be just as impressive — and it’s all thanks to local supporters.

“I’m so grateful to the community for continuing to support us like it does,” she said.