Riverbend 2009 a success, despite the economy

Riverbend 2009 was a success ... considering.

"Actually, it hasn't been too bad considering the economy," said John Rolling of John and Barb's Original Kettle Corn, a fixture on the grounds for 10 years. "I expected it to be considerably slower, and actually we're holding pretty good."

Despite strong attendance each night, vendors' sales overall were down about 5 percent from last year, according to Friends of the Festival Executive Director Chip Baker.

"Concession sales are an early barometer," he said. "We'll know more after we look at everything, but we had huge crowds every night."

Shirley Harvell, owner of Harvell's Concessions, which operates four locations on site, said tighter purse strings dragged sales down about 30 percent across the board.

But after more than a decade at the festival, Ms. Harvell said she knows a lot can change in a year.

"Oh yes, we'll be back. I think it'll pick up," she said.

Final figures on concession sales and attendance won't be available for several weeks, said Susan Baker of Friends of the Festival's marketing and public relations department.

"From looking at it, it seems to me that it was as big or bigger than it has been in the past," she said. "It didn't seem like there was much greenspace, which is a good sign."

Attendees said they were satisfied with the overall lineup of headliners, which began June 5 with country legend Willie Nelson and concluded Saturday evening with Little Richard.

Sharon Ziegler said she was disappointed by the decrease in roaming performers this year but understood their absence in the face of a tight budget.

"We missed that, (but) overall, it's been good," she said.

Her daughter Alishea agreed.

"You have to keep all that in frame when you look at what all it has to offer," she said.

Mr. Baker said this was the first year the festival sold out its allotment of $20 Star Seating seats for the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera show, which featured Three Dog Night.

Admission pin prices held steady this year at $28 in advance and $37 after June 4.

At the conclusion of each festival, the Riverbend staff meet with city and county officials to review the event.

This year that meeting is sure to include further discussion with the Chattanooga Police Department's DUI Unit. As of Friday morning, officers with the unit issued 25 citations for underage drinking, police said.

"It needs to be a team effort and not a gotcha," Mr. Baker said.

As part of its biannual research, Friends of the Festival conducted lengthy surveys with 500-600 guests to critique their experience this year.

That information will be evaluated in the coming months to determine Riverbend's economic impact and areas that could use improvement, Ms. Baker said.