NEWS RELEASE
DATE: Aug. 26, 2011
CONTACT: Mark Demko, 610-332-1342 or mdemko@artsquest.org
ARTSQUEST ANNOUNCES 2011 MUSIKFEST ATTENDANCE
Vendors Impacted by Musikfest Flooding to Receive Free Booth Space at an Upcoming ArtsQuest Festival
BETHLEHEM, PA—Despite one of the rainiest festivals in its history, an estimated 860,000 people experienced the music, food and family fun at Musikfest® 2011, ArtsQuest™ officials announced today.
From Aug. 5-14, Musikfest celebrated its 28th anniversary with more than 500 performances by 340 artists on 14 stages. In addition to 10 free stages in Bethlehem’s historic district - the traditional home of Musikfest - the festival featured four stages at the new SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, introducing guests to this unique community revitalization project, as well as many of the neighboring shops, restaurants and businesses on the city’s SouthSide.
Concert ticket sales for Musikfest 2011 were on par with ticket sales for 2010. Led by sold-out shows by Steely Dan and Maroon 5, a total of 54,700 concert tickets were sold for the 21 total shows at the festival’s two ticketed venues, the Sands Steel Stage (10 concerts) and the PNC Performing Arts Series at the ArtsQuest Center’s Musikfest Café (11 concerts). In 2010, 54,300 tickets were sold for the 18 total concerts that were part of the festival’s RiverPlace, Candlelight Concert Series and Performing Arts Series lineups.
"Although Musikfest 2011 was among the wettest in the event’s history, the festival was a success on several levels," said ArtsQuest President Jeff Parks. "This year marked the first major changes to Musikfest in more than a decade, and we received many positive comments on the new Sands Steel Stage main stage and the SteelStacks arts and cultural campus. In addition, thousands of people enjoyed free concerts during the event’s 10-day run, exposing them to new artists and new musical styles.
"One of the goals of incorporating Musikfest into the SteelStacks campus was to make the festival a city-wide event and from some of the reports we’ve heard, the festival had a positive economic impact on both North and SouthSide businesses. We think people really liked what they saw at SteelStacks and look forward to them coming back to experience our SteelJam, Blast Furnace Blues and Oktoberfest events, as well as everything Bethlehem has to offer."
As a result of the heavy rain and flooding that hit Musikfest, ArtsQuest estimates the event lost approximately $750,000 in 2011; however, complete financial results for this year’s festival will not be available until after all expenses are accounted for, a process that will take until at least mid-October to complete. To help offset some of the losses, the nonprofit arts organization has launched the Save Our Songs Musikfest Flood Relief Fund. Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the relief fund may do so by visiting www.musikfest.org or calling 610-332-3378; all donations are tax deductible and will go directly to the festival.
"Since we announced Save Our Songs, we have had tremendous response from the community," said ArtsQuest Board of Trustees member Sam Torrence. "Several of the bands that played at Musikfest 2011 have offered to perform for free at upcoming ArtsQuest events and festivals, and we have also received numerous donations from the public, as well as our sponsors and ArtsQuest Members. The community has always supported Musikfest over the years, and we definitely can use its help right now."
Musikfest 2011 was made possible thanks to the support of 1,750 volunteers, including 45 corporate volunteer groups, and more than 120 corporate sponsors. Dates for Musikfest 2012 are Aug. 3-12, 2012.
For more information, visit www.musikfest.org.
VENDORS IMPACTED BY FLOODING OFFERED FREE BOOTH SPACE AT UPCOMING FESTIVALS
In light of the flooding that swept through the Handwerkplatz and Volksplatz venues at Musikfest on its last weekend, ArtsQuest is offering all vendors at those two venues a free booth space at one of its upcoming fall festivals at SteelStacks.
Vendors who were impacted by the flooding Aug. 13 have been invited to have a complimentary booth at either the SteelJam Festival Sept. 2-5, Blast Furnace Blues Festival Sept. 16-18 or one of the two Oktoberfest weekends, Sept. 29-Oct. 2 or Oct. 6-9. In addition, they have been issued a refund equivalent to one-day’s rent since they were unable to participate in Musikfest’s final day, Aug. 14, due to the two venues being closed as a result of the flooding.
"Our vendors are important and valued partners," said Parks. "While the financial results of Musikfest 2011 are not what we had hoped for, either for us or our vendors, we hope that these upcoming festivals will present them with an opportunity to recoup some of the business they lost as a result of being unable to open on the last day of Musikfest."
ABOUT ARTSQUEST
ArtsQuest™ is a Bethlehem, PA-based nonprofit dedicated to presenting music, arts, festivals, cultural experiences and educational and outreach programs that aid in economic development, urban revitalization and community enrichment. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest®; the Banana Factory® cultural arts and education center; and the ArtsQuest Center and SteelStacks™ arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.5 million people annually.
For more information on ArtsQuest, visit www.artsquest.org or call 610-332-1300.
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