Weakened economy leads to festival cancellations

This summer, for the first time in over 20 years, Harbor Fest organizers in Racine, Wisconsin were forced to cancel their summertime music festival normally held on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Attendance has dwindled over the years, but it was rising costs combined with a 40 percent decrease in corporate sponsorships that dealt the final blow. “It boiled down to, if we can’t do it the right way, let’s just not do it,” commented the event’s organizer, Joe Mooney.

Mooney isn’t alone in his misery. From Jackson, Michigan’s hot air balloon festival to parades scheduled for Clearwater, Florida, to the Annapolis, Maryland seafood festival, organizers are dealing with the effects of the overall economic slowdown – and calling it quits or postponing events until next year.

Corporate sponsors, who are worried about their own financial affairs, are pulling their sponsorships and curtailing their donations. Organizers in general don’t feel that they can raise ticket prices, as families are paying so much more for gas and food that they may stay away from events that have higher ticket prices. On top of all this, the costs for renting the grounds, hiring bands, and having on-site vendors have increased as well.

Tens of thousands of events and festivals are scheduled throughout the country every year, ranging from small parades to larger affairs with live music, rides, and a host of vendors. Summer is the peak season for most of the festivals, noted Ira Rosen, the director of the International Festivals and Events Association’s branch in North America.

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