The 10th annual Revelstoke Music Festival wrapped up late Saturday evening with the tunes of Shane Philip and later headliner Econoline Crush filling the evening air.
It was a hard go for the music festival this year, which didn’t seem to recover from the wind-induced low attendance Friday night.
Carol Mayer, chair of the Revelstoke Music Festival, estimated attendance at about 400 on Friday and was hoping for 1,000 people on Saturday.
“We’re still hoping to break even,” Mayer said, though she was also prepared for the worst.
Disappointing for the Revelstoke Music Festival Board of Directors, who have been working on this event since July of last year.
“It’s a tremendous line-up — a good mix,” Mayer said of the bands they brought in this year.
The Revelstoke Music Festival expanded their reach this year to include children’s activities which were free of charge and put on beside the music venue. Activity costs were sponsored by local businesses and run by the Revelstoke Childcare Society.
“The Revelstoke Childcare Society did an awesome job,” Mayer said.
When so much work has been put into an event by a small, core group of volunteers, it’s disappointing to see it fall short of targets. Yet Mayer, in her third year on the board, remains positive.
“Now it’s fine-tuning,” she said.
The board might also look at how to get some of the free-loaders out of the nearby field and into the venue.
“We have to look at our pricing to make it a great event and affordable to all people of the community,” she said.
Mayer and the board may be right that a lower price would bring more people in the door. People also have to realize that events like this won’t go on forever without increased community support. Would you be more likely to come in the door if the weekend ticket pricing was lower?
While you ponder that one, here are some photos from Saturday: