South DaCola

Editorial Cartoonist from South Dakota

RibFest

Denny Sanford Premier Center Downtown Sioux Falls Jazzfest Levitt Pavilion LifeLight RibFest Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Parks and Rec

RIBFEST calls it quits, are other festivals next?

l3wis 17Comments

Looks like $10 for 3 bones festival is over;

“The entertainment landscape has continued to expand over recent years with the opening of Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, The District and soon to be Levitt Shell,” Torkildson said. “SMG is refocusing its resources and efforts to managing and producing events in the venues it manages in Sioux Falls.”

I find it interesting that they would cancel this event right after getting a new contract to help manage Canaries Stadium. Makes you wonder what revenues are really like for SMG in Sioux Falls, or what they are seeing for projections.

I have been hearing rumors over the past couple of months that both CityFest (used to be LifeLight) and JazzFest may be on the chopping blocks also. I haven’t had anyone confirm that yet with me, but I do know that LifeLight as an organization has been liquidating some assets and Rob Joyce is retiring from the Jazz and Blues Society.

While I could give two-sh*ts about Ribfest or LifeLight, killing JazzFest would be very detrimental to summer entertainment. Even if they have to just scale back for a couple of years to one day, I think that would be better than trying to bring it back later. Obviously there is going to be a shift to have more outdoor festivals downtown at the Levitt, which is awesome, but Yankton Trails was a perfect venue for JazzFest. I was told at one time that JazzFest attendees are around 40% out of town (not sure what last year’s numbers were) but many stay for the entire event at local hotels and campgrounds. The economic impact of JF is pretty big when you consider all the city has to do is provide a city park for about a week they we already pay to maintain anyway.

Let’s hope for the best!

RibFest Sioux Falls

Is it time for RibFest to stop charging admission? Don’t hold your breath.

l3wis 4Comments

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Once again I saw a letter to the editor complaining about the charge-fest that goes on each year at RibFest, or as I nicknamed it in its early days ‘RIP-FEST’.

Some would argue that you have to pay admission to pay for the bands, and to some degree, I can understand that argument. But after you pay for parking and clearly overpriced beverages and food, don’t you think a little of those profits could go towards making the event FREE or at least very affordable (like $2 a person)?

JazzFest accomplishes this every year, and ironically the food and beverages are not even close to the prices RibFest charges. It also makes me chuckle each year when people complain about the cost of food at JazzFest or the bands. First off, you paid nothing to hear the music, and if you are concerned about the food costs, eat a boloney sandwich at home before you come.

It is pretty obvious why ‘RIP-FEST’ is so expensive, it is ran by SMG. Just like events they put on at the EC, they will suck every last penny out of the attendee they can, while pocketing the profits (that they send out of town) and leaving the good taxpayers of Sioux Falls footing the mortgage payments to the facilities they run. As far as SMG is concerned, they are ALWAYS in the black, and I believe them, while leaving all of us in the red.

Maybe I am too naïve to ask SMG to actually give something in return to the people that makes their business profitable. It’s hard to give when you continually take, take, take.

 

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