By: MyVoice on 4/14/10
At least if your gonna do this let the residents of Murfreesboro in Free and charge the out of towners. We are tax payers here and pay alot of dog gone taxes already.

By: spook on 4/14/10
I won't be attending the festival this year.

By: acdsrool on 4/14/10
How do they plan to charge people who are walking the Greenway in that area?

By: lduke on 4/14/10
I think this is a bad idea. With the economy like it is, many families won't be able to attend. Those who do attend won't be able to spend as much with vendors. When the vendors stop coming, it's the beginning of the end unless it becomes a music venue only. If that happens, it's not UDMD anymore. This feels like charging to see the Christmas parade. Hope the City doesn't have to resort to that this Winter either.

By: shotgun on 4/15/10
qouting lduke "This feels like charging to see the Christmas parade. Hope the City doesn't have to resort to that this Winter either."

Oh, my goodness, that's funny!!!!! And scary. Don't give them any ideas, please.

And don't forget the Jazz Fest!

By: shotgun on 4/15/10
Don't forget the Fourth of July fireworks.....

Now, what else is there?

By: Farmall on 4/15/10
Do you remember when they were building 440, they were going to ban big trucks on it. The feds were not amused considering it was a lot of federal money paying for it, to use the fed money part of the requirements was allowing all vehicles. which is why the ban did not make it. Iduke, I like your thinking.

By: Alma228 on 4/15/10
The Dave Macon Festival is a private non-profit event operated by volunteers. They are trying to keep a good thing going. Young families with children under 12 get in free. Bonnaroo tickets are over $200. of course they have big names but what is $5. This is a well loved community event, to provide the stage and other things it needs is not free.

By: Councellor on 4/15/10
To answer Alma228's question "but what is $5?" $5 per person for someone who's on a fixed income struggling to make ends meet IS the difference between attending and not attending. $5 is obviously enough to allow the event to expand in the direction that current management desires to take so it would seem that $5 is not a measly amount. It also seems that based on the article, they are considering changing the event from "volunteer status" to "paid status" by hiring a "full-time" professional staff.

I'd be interested in knowing just what a paid staff would be able to do that our fine volunteers can't do. I know it's got to be a lot of work to organize it (without a doubt) And I can see the writing on the wall.. $5 this year = $7 next year and so forth etc. etc. Volunteers equate to folks who do things out of love for the event, Paid staff equate to doing things out of love for money. Sounds like a bit of "greed" talk to me.

One of the things that we've found so attractive in Murfreesboro has been those events in the community that have been free. Events such as the musicals on the square, the Wednesday Summer Concerts... events such as these are priceless and so appreciated by many. These "free" events help set our community apart from so many others.

While I certainly understand the need to generate revenue, one would hope that the organizers could find a way to generate the revenue without passing the expense on to the attendees. I would think attendance will be lower once an admission fee is put into place. I too would be among those who wouldn't be able to attend.

Can someone post the link to the "official" announcement if there is one? Perhaps I'm missing some vital info...

By: MboroBlueEyes on 4/16/10
I think this is a big mistake on their part. Of course, I'm sad as well. I've taken my kids every year since they were born, and will not be able to attend now.

By: rob37128 on 4/16/10
Wow! The organizers are really going to see a drastic decrease in the number of visitors this year...This is an event that draws so many people into our lovely city. To the organizers, please think this over before it's too late!

By: Ryanmeff19 on 4/16/10
While I understand the reasoning for charging admission I feel like doing so in the present economy is a mistake. I bet the numbers for attendence will be WAY down this year. I think they should just raise the fees for vendors or make admission a dollar or two max.

By: drnitemare on 4/16/10
There goes the festival. Mark my words and you will all see how this festival will go down now. Bet next year it will be free again.

By: ItsGood on 4/16/10
Lets see, if we had a county fair there would be an admission charge, right?

Do you expect the volunteers to continue to take a personal financial loss so others can attend something for FREE? At some point you have to cut your losses or quit having the events.

I regret seeing they have to charge but unless you got a lot of wealthy folks giving money you have got to make a change or stop the event - reference Street Festival.

lduke, recent years there have been enough entries to fund the Christmas Parade but then people complained about some of the entries. If not enough entries something may have to happen there as well. WGNS cannot afford to start taking a loss ( fyi, they do not make a profit either as any funds left over go to charities who volunteer to work the parade ). Now with some changes with the use of police officers the parade expenses might go up so be prepared.

By: ItsGood on 4/16/10
Ryanmeff19: I think they should just raise the fees for vendors < then the vendors raise prices which those purchasing will pay more.

Councellor and others complaining about greed, why not step up this year and become a volunteer so after your shifts you can enjoy the grounds for free.

And concerning those "free events" > how do you think they are really free? Some group or some of your taxes pay for those events. Believe me, I know as I am in a group that put on an event last year that cost $30000 - we broke even on Noon of the last day and cleared finally about $2700 over three days. Not much return on investment but we are doing it again this year out of the love of the project.