News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Jackson County Chamber of Commerce said that the success of the first Cumberland River Musicfest exceeded expectations.
Director Hope Vargas said that the festival served as a good learning experience for how to improve the operation for next year.
“We learned a ton as we saw how things played out,” Vargas said. “Honestly the greatest need was that we needed like eight times the volunteers that we had. We didn’t know where we would need the manpower, but now we do.”
Vargas said that despite the success of the festival, it was expected to take time to see a direct return on investment. However, she said that the festival had a huge positive impact on the region’s economy.
“All of our lodging in Jackson County was completely booked including campsites,” Vargas said. “From there it flowed over into Putnam and the surrounding counties. And then our Jackson County restaurant and storefront owners told us they had a record-breaking weekend. So when you take the economic impact into consideration, we without a doubt came out on top.”
Vargas said that attendees have said it was one of the smoothest-run festivals they’ve attended. She said that from their rescue squad personnel to backstage personnel, she said that they had the right people in place to go off without a hitch.
Vargas said that the county has already seen success in pre-sale for next year’s event in October. She said that tickets will soon be on sale for the public.
