The Great American Brass Band Festival

2007 Festival Articles

June 11, 2007

Weather cooperates, Brass Band Festival hits a home run

By HERB BROCK
herb@amnews.com

Louisville may have the Slugger but it was Danville that wielded the biggest bat in the commonwealth - at least the biggest brass bat - this past weekend.

"We hit a grand slam," Elaine Hammonds, executive director of the Great American Brass Band Festival, said this morning in assessing the 18th annual event.

And according to Jerry Boyd, the longtime member and one-time head of the festival's logistics team, the base-clearing round tripper was witnessed by crowds that added up to one of the festival's largest overall attendances.

"Adding up all attendances at all the concerts, at the Saturday night picnic and at the parade, the turnouts at all other downtown events, including the Chataqua Tea, the Gallery Hop and the WineFest, I'd say total attendance was in the 38,500 to 42,000 range, and that would put it as one of our top three overall crowds," said Boyd, noting that the figure does not include the attendance at the balloon race Sunday evening.

Crowds at both the picnic and the parade were records, he said. The festival's newest event, the WineFest Thursday at the Chateau Du Vieux Corbeau Winery, drew an estimated 300 people to taste and buy wine, said Hammonds.

"When we were talking about the picnic and Saturday evening in general, I remember hoping that the lawn (in front of the main stage at Centre College) would be packed with not a blade of grass visible," she said. "That's exactly what I saw," she said.

"There were all those tables with guests in festive attire and moods surrounding them and there were families sitting on blankets and children playing here and there," she said. "That scene reflected what the festival is all about."

In Hammonds' overall assessment of this year's festival - the first she has overseen as executive director - she said the event went "incredibly well." She said she based that evaluation not just on her own observations but from feedback she has received from festival-goers, festival sponsors, coordinators of specific events, members of the guest bands and her staff.

Keeping it free

"Since this was my first festival, as executive director, I wanted everything to be perfect," she said. "From what I have heard, the overall event went 99.9 percent without complaints or major problems, and that's about as near-perfect as you can get.

"But even though there are ways to measure the success of an event like this, like the numbers of people attending and the number of complaints or compliments, the festival is about making people feel good. And I think not only the people listening to the music felt good but I believe the performers felt good, and both those things, of course, made us (festival committee and staff) feel good."

Hammonds gave credit to the sponsors for "continuing to show their community spirit by keeping such a great event free to the public" and Mother Nature for "providing absolutely beautiful weather" after storms early Friday afternoon. But she save her biggest pat on the back to the 200 people of all ages from the community who served on the festival's volunteer staff.

"Our volunteers are the ones who make it happen," she said. "They're the ones who set up and break down the stages, who transport the bands and the festival-goers on the golf carts, who just make it all happen. And their spouses and children also pitch in. After all, if you are a related to a volunteer, most likely you're a volunteer yourself.

"The festival is definitely not a one-person show. It's truly a community effort."

Picnic table awards

Decorated tables at the Brass Band picnic that won prizes Saturday are:

Sousa Award for Best of Show went to John and Martha Caywood for their "Brass Band Hall of Fame" theme. The award goes to the table that stands out above all others.

Brass Band Festival Theme award went to Susan and Jeff McDowell for their "Picnic & Poke" theme. The table best reflected the spirit of the Great American Brass Band Festival.

Off Centre went to Pattie and Mack Ward. The table's theme was "Laundry and Tanning." The prize was for the table that displayed the most humor in decorations.

Spielberg Award went to Jane and J.P. Brantley. The theme was “Olympian Brass” and was a visual pun on Keats’ poem,
“Ode on a Grecian Urn.” The table exhibited the most creativity and novel idea.

The Judges' Pick award went to three tables that "were wonderful but did not fall into a given award category." Lou and David Cheese had the best children's theme; Farmers Bank won with "Primitive Country," and Lisa and Bill Grimes had the "Most Appetizing" table.

All the prize winners live in Danville.

Staff Writer Brenda Edwards also contributed to this story.

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