14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Freedom Fest falls $290,000 short
Member Center:
By Sarah Harlan - email
EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - The organizers of this years Freedom Festival released a statement Wednesday that the festival did not break even financially.
The event fell $290,000 short of breaking even, according to the Growth Alliance of Greater Evansville.
A total of 7,720 general admission and wrist bands were sold. Old National gave away 9,000 children's wristbands.
GAGE president Joe Wallace said he doesn't blame one single component for the shortcoming, but said weather impacted the size of the crowd. GAGE also believes the carnival rides suffered from the weather more than any other aspect.
The shortfall will be paid for from a GAGE account.
Although the festival fell short financially, GAGE said other areas were a success.
"We developed a festival incorporating extensive feedback received from the public through various sources and the event was well received," Wallace said in a statement.
Non-profit sales of wristbands and charity awards through various competitions amounted to $20,000 going to non-profit organizations.
GAGE is considering the 2010 Freedom Festival, and will reach a decision by September. As GAGE considers next years event, the plan will include less wristband revenues.
©2009 WFIE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. Notify us of any inappropriate comments by clicking the “Mark as Offensive” link. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
