The Magnificent River Rats Festival executive is feeling the pressure of putting on a music festival, and without enough public support and volunteers, they are weighing their options.
Last Thursday during the first meeting of the River Rats executive after this year’s festival, group members stated they were disappointed with the attendance at the June 29 and 30 festival.
Executive member Irene Fitzsimmons said they sold $17,000 worth of tickets over the weekend.
“It is difficult to talk about attendance because we are not comparing apples to apples,” she explained. “Our tickets cost less last year, and our age of where we had the cut-off of free was different this year, so we are not going to be able to compare numbers.”
Last year, tickets were $10 per day; this year, they were $15.
Executive member Duane Fitzsimmons said he was disappointed with the lack of audience during the Saturday performances especially.
Executive member Ida Edwards estimated 300–400 tickets were sold on Saturday, while twice that many were sold on Sunday.
“Another disappointment was the people sitting outside who didn’t want to pay and come in,” Duane said.
Irene said hundreds of people sat just outside the gated area.
The executive discussed the price of tickets and how they are providing entertainment for the whole family at a reasonable cost.
“If you look at the prices of nearby festivals, it’s $100 for the weekend,” executive member Shelly Boersma said. “We are providing a good deal.”
Irene said she hopes the community will get more involved in the future.
“Our hope was to have the community, bigger than just the music focus, to encourage people to spend the day,” she said. “You go to the parade, the kid zone, you have a bite to eat, and you come in and listen to music.
“What really transpired was that all the free things were taken in, and they didn’t spend the $15 to listen to music,” she said.
Executive member Bill Cruthers said the festival had good corporate sponsorship, but the community isn’t supporting the festival.
“The committee has to look at the direction that we go,” he said, contemplating the future of the festival.
Irene said there was a lack of volunteers not only during the planning of the festival, but also on the days of.
The committee was disappointed the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County were not more willing to become involved in the festival beyond writing their yearly cheques.
“We want them to take a more active role in participation than they have, because the River Rats and the July 1st weekend go hand-in-hand, and the county and the town benefit greatly from the festival,” Duane said. “However, it should be give and take, and I think it is a little more take from the town and county.”
Edwards said the volunteered hours from the county to put up and take down the fencing are appreciated.
“I guess it is the understanding that there is much more that needs to go on in terms of participation from town and county, other than just the day of,” Irene said. “I am not sure how long the festival can continue to operate with that mentality.”
She would like to see more participation from the town and county throughout the year, including attendance by some council members at River Rats meetings.
Cruthers added, “We clearly need a partner. A partner that comes with some driving force.
“This group is bare bones, and without clear direction from a group that is up to their ears, you don’t see a clear picture when you are treading water,” he said. “You saw a whole executive leave, and whole new executive, and now you are seeing the water get pretty high again. And I think maybe the same problems are just resurfacing.”
Cruthers said it is an ultimatum: either there is more support from groups in town or, after 17 years, the Magnificent River Rats Festival may not continue.
“It has got to change or the festival will not go ahead,” Cruthers said.
During the meeting, Magnificent River Rats president Rod Foster tendered his resignation.
“It is with mixed emotion that I submit my resignation as president of the Magnificent River Rats Music Festival,” he said. “I have retired and am moving back to the Pigeon Lake area.”
