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:
Centennial Park was a hive of activity on Saturday with the Revelstoke Music Festival and the ultimate frisbee tournament taking place. Teams participated from Nelson, Vernon, Vancouver, Calgary, and several other communities. Karen McColl photoA Revelstoke team member (in red) dives for the frisbee to score a point. Games go to 17 points or a maximum two hours, so with three games in a day, the athletes got a lot of field time. This game, versus Nelson (in white) ran the full two hours. Karen McColl photoLocal band Positive Corruption started off the the music at noon on Saturday. Karen McColl photoSophie Potter (right) and a friend learn to blow bubbles. Karen McColl photo'Ishdafish' sang songs and made balloon people, much to the children's delight. The large blow up whale in the background was the creative invention of Dancing Bear, a travelling children's storyteller. Karen McColl photoChildren's activities, put on with the help of the Revelstoke Childcare Society, appeared to be a real hit with the little ones. Of course the bubble machine never gets old. Karen McColl photoThis was what most of the afternoon was like at the Music Festival. People relaxed in the beer gardens with not much of a stage front crowd for the musicians. Karen McColl photoArtisans had much better weather on Saturday, though according to a few of them, business remained slow. Karen McColl photoPulled Pork Sandwiches made up one of the two food vendors at the festival. According to Carol Mayer, chairwoman of the Revelstoke Music Festival, there would normally be three food vendors but one vendor had to pull out at the last moment. Karen McColl photoJuno award winner Greg Sczebel and his band are from the Shuswap. They played early Sunday evening to a small-ish crowd. Karen McColl photoNo stranger to Revelstoke, didgeridoo playing Shane Philip always puts on an incredible show. Karen McColl photoPhilip knows how to get a crowd dancing and invited the audience on stage for his last song which resulted in throbbing pack of energy both on stage and off. Karen McColl photoHeadliner Econoline Crush. Karen McColl photoLead singer Trevor Hurst belts out their popular hit, Sparkle and Shine. Karen McColl photo
