Decatur BBQ, Blues and Bluegrass Festival Set for August 17th
Decatur Metro | May 15, 2013
Reagan sends in this announcement…
Once again the sights, sounds, and smells of the Decatur BBQ Blues & Bluegrass Festival will invade Harmony Park in Oakhurst Saturday, August 17th from 4pm – 10pm. This year’s event promises to be one of the best with a terrific line up of live musical acts, first class BBQ from Fox Bros and Black Tie.
This year’s musical lineup includes some amazing performers. We’re staggering our announcements because they’re too good to give away all at once-check-out our website, decaturbbqfestival.com, for band announcements.
Harmony Park in the Oakhurst section of Decatur will play host to this 13th annual event. Along with BBQ, Music, and cold beer, there will be fun for the entire family including a kids area complete with train rides, face painting and arts and crafts.
There is a nominal festival fee of $10 in advance ($15 at the gate) that along with 100% of all proceeds goes to support the Decatur community through local grants and community based programming throughout the year.
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This is my favorite Decatur festival. Not too big, not too small – still has the community feel, but always offers great entertainment and, of course, great food and drink.
Not to nitpick here (oh, heck yeah, it’s nitpicking), a “nominal festival fee” would be perhaps a buck, not ten or fifteen dollars.
I think that’s a fine nit to pick. We tend to forget around here that we have actual neighbors for whom $10 or $15 is not “nominal”. I understand that kids under 10 get in free but if you have a couple of teens, that’s at least $40 for a family of four. Then you tell them that they can’t bring in outside food or drink, so of course the kids are going to want to eat and drink! Pretty soon you’ve just spent a “nominal” hundred bucks. The money may go back to the community as they proclaim, but it seems that the portion of the community we’re trying to help is priced out.
It seems to me that a “suggested donation” of $10-$20 at the door would likely yield about the same gate take. Yeah, there will be a few freeloaders who can afford it but don’t pay. Hopefully, they’ll still spend money on food and drinks. And the majority of people will likely be too embarrassed to not pay (or so I hope?). And, best of all, the family who would like to attend but who also needs to buy groceries on a fixed income, wouldn’t be shut out.
Anyway, I’m sure someone will tell me why I’m wrong about this…
You have no respect for Capitalism.
No, I actually agree…
I doubt anyone would disagree.
This is another example of inartful drafting and/or poor marketing. The folks at the festival should just call it what it is – a ticket. If the Mrs. and I go and take the kids, this “nominal” fee is $60 assuming we don’t buy ticket in advance. And that is just for the right to fight the crowd to buy overpriced beer. We had more fun after we left last year and joined some friends at the U-Joint. Better food and better beer with same music for less.
That’s fine. I won’t get into the fray over the phrasing of one part of the announcement. But when you choose to be part of the knot-hole gang, rather than paying to enter you are choosing to ignore this part: “along with 100% of all proceeds goes to support the Decatur community through local grants and community based programming throughout the year.” I know, you do all sorts of things to support the community, blah, blah, blah, but in addition to all of that great stuff, please try to stay out of the way of the community volunteers who will buzzing around you that day, cleaning up, etc. for your (cheaper) enjoyment.
Did you not read the part where I said “after we left”? This means we went and we paid to get in. And we will probably do so again. I just agreed that I wouldn’t call this a nominal fee.
Why are your panties in a wad? Did you write the press release or something?
You always get my panties in a wad, DawgFan.
Dawgfan,
Obviously, you haven’t learned that your opinions are irrelevant and unwanted, because they are not in alignment with others who post to this forum.
That is exactly what I was thinking. +1
Countering sarcasm with sarcasm. Well done!
Good to see you do have a sense of humor.
But your fixation with all things Dawgfan makes for interesting, if somewhat bizarre, reading.
“makes for interesting, if somewhat bizarre, reading” – isn’t that the point of all of this?
Listen here, fella. I don’t know that we need to ban anonymous screen names on the internet but I do know that it ain’t right to go around pretending you’re someone you’re not. Friend, I know Warren Buffet. Warren Bufffet is a good friend and a distant cousin of mine. And you, sir, are no Warren Buffet. I think it’s safe to say that he’d be the first person screaming to have him and his fellow .001 percenters subsidize that nominal entry fee for the common working man!
DawgFan– rather than complaining about the event, why don’t you take action and volunteer? If you don’t like the marketing, then volunteer to do something about it. The event is run solely by volunteers
While you debate the difference between “nominal fee” and “ticket” please remember and hopefully appreciate that it costs $$$ for bands, stages, etc… and the after expense $$$ goes to your neighborhood and benefits ALL residents in the form of grants. A list of last years recipients is below.
Let me know where you pay $ 10 and get 6 hours of great live music as well?
Decatur Preservation Alliance MLK Service Project
Wylde Center Garden to Classrooms Field Experience
City of Decatur Decatur Season of Giving
Decatur Fire Department Inflatable Fire Safety House
Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool Shade Slope Project
Decatur Education Foundation K-5 Math Education
4/5 Academy PTA Tybee Island Field Study
Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool Shade Slope Project
Decatur Education Foundation K-5 Math Education
4/5 Academy PTA Tybee Island Field Study
The facts always get in the may of the nitpicking doesn’t it…
Jesus! J_T and Dawgfan were only “nitpicking” the use of the word “nominal.” They weren’t rude or offensive. Lord, y’all need to calm down.
It seems that every year, as soon as this festival is announced, people start making critical comments about how it’s conceived, promoted and/or executed. Since it has been and still is a grass-roots operation (as opposed to many of our local events that are actually put on by the City or with substantial participation & guidance from City staff), it becomes a sore subject. Kachange said it best.
Just stating the facts to the sideline criticism – get involved and do something
I love this festival. It’s always a great time. However, it is God awful hot in August. Is there a reason why it’s always in August and not a cooler month?
Calendar is full.
Hotter weather equals more beer and Coke being sold. $$$.
I think it would help if in the marketing for this year’s event they also list all the great places where last year’s money went. Look folks…this is how you helped!!
+1 I’m volunteering again this year and will ask that they do that. Made the suggestion last year. We’ll see. Several attendees asked me, as I sold tickets, where the money was going.
check out the festival facebook page and scroll down – information has been there all along
you’re right; thanks. I was actually referring to walk-ups at the festival who had their $10 in hand and wanted to see a list of the deserving organizations before they forked it over. Maybe a few signs at the entrances, unless I missed those last year, would help.
By the way, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins is a pistol.
I think that $10 for a days worth of live music and a good time is absolutely reasonable. Thanks to all of the people who give their time and effort to make this event a success each year — it’s a great for our community!