Despite rain, festival deemed successful
By Evelyn Gander
Staff Writer
Remember that fella' from Saturday? Went by the name ``Rain'' - called himself ``Relentless.'' The one who came Friday and took a front row seat right near the Main Stage at The Great American Brass Band Festival?
In at least one notable way at The Great American Brass Band Festival, the rain Saturday morning and early that afternoon made something good even better. Festival organizer George Foreman of Centre College said this morning that events at the ``Ragtime Tent,'' scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, originally set to take place outside, were moved inside to the lobby of the Norton Center for the Arts at Centre College.
The move made possible good rapport between musicians and audience and performers/instructors and participants in the ``ragtime dance instruction'' and provided acoustics for the music of Scott Kirby, the New Walnut Street Brass and Dick Zimmerman. It turned out to be ``a plus,'' said Foreman, describing it as ``one of the highlights of the whole weekend.''
Praising band members who performed in rain Saturday and sun Sunday, Foreman said, ``They're just all troopers.''
Noting that many had been members of high school bands, the conductor of The Advocate Brass Band added, ``... and they're a very few of us who didn't stomp around on a muddy (football) field at one time'' or another.
Mud there was on Saturday for volunteers helping operations and logistics chairman Jerry Boyd.
``We're going to go - rain or shine. And that's exactly what we did.''
And Boyd took time this morning especially to praise those 90 to 95 volunteers, who made the going happen - including 25 volunteer employees of North Point Training Center and 35 to 40 people who came from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday just to help set up for the Festival's picnic.
That 6 p.m. event is the biggest single task his logistics committee members and volunteers have, Boyd confirmed. Starting at 5 p.m., they had 168 picnic tables, 1,300 folding chairs to set up - ``and a window of 60 minutes'' in which to get it done.
For purposes of unloading picnic items, table holders were able to use an exit lane at Maple Avenue and Walnut Street.
Open for emergency purposes as well, the lane made possible one of the weekend's most successful efforts. Boyd said this year, for the first time, a shuttle cart service transported handicapped audience members from parking behind Bingham Hall to the Main Stage area.
``We were very, very pleased about the shuttle ...,'' he said, adding, ``We had more compliments on that ...''
Boyd said rain played a part in attendance figures being down. Although the number of picnic goers equaled previous years, he estimated overall attendance at 27,000 to 28,000 - down from an average 35,000 to 38,000.
Even with rain, however, Boyd pronounced the weekend a success.
``It was just a great week for us from the operations standpoint.''
He concluded, ``When the weekend goes as well as the weekend went, that's very pleasing to us and makes it all worthwhile.''
Baker Williams, director of the Festival Market for each of its seven years, hadn't compiled specific receipts this morning, but he emphasized the Market likely would be as successful as ever.
Foreman underscored the Williams and Boyd assessments.
``... It was as successful as any we've ever had. Obviously, the rain we had on Saturday didn't dampen any spirits, although it created inconveniences for the parade, mostly.
``... On Sunday, the sun was shining, and I don't think rain was on anybody's mind.''