Future Sweetwater funding uncertain (part 2)

     Downtown Milledgeville may have to find other funding for this fall’s Sweetwater Festival because of uncertainty from GCSU’s Student Activities Budget Commission.
     Milledgeville’s Sweetwater Festival is an attraction that has grown steadily in scope and popularity since its conception in 2004. The event was attended by nearly 3,000 people during its first run and drew 13,000 people this past November from as far as South Carolina. The venue also encompassed five city blocks, whereas it occupied only one in 2004.
     Both GCSU and the community of Milledgeville mutually benefit from the festival. It is considered a significant economic and social boost to the city; while GCSU students, relatives and their friends enjoy an entertaining event. GCSU even moved its annual parent’s day festivities to coincide with 2007’s festival.
     Jimmy Holder, who’s responsible for organizing the venue’s main stage music, is also the co-chairman of Sweetwater’s marketing committee, co-owner of Blackbird Coffee and general manager of The Brick. Holder is also currently enrolled in a master’s program here at GCSU, pursuing a graduate degree in creative writing.
     “The Sweetwater Festival is a powerful unifier for the entire GCSU student body and the town as a whole,” said Holder.
Behind Sweetwater’s success has been the financial support of many businesses and organizations, mostly local.
     Since 2004, GCSU has served a pivotal role financially supporting the festival, giving $35,000 in 2006 and 2007. Most of that support covers the cost of the festival’s musical entertainment. The decision to fund Sweetwater is made by GCSU’s SABC.
     For 2008’s upcoming festival, the decision of whether or not GCSU will give such a large sum is undecided.
     “The purpose of the student activity dollar is what we’re deciding,” said Ryan Greene, GCSU’s SGA president.  “Sweetwater is a great event, and students have a great time, but this dollar is a part of each student’s activities fee, so how it’s spent should be what serves students best.”
     “SGA’s involvement in this event is important,” Holder said.   “Seldom does the city and the college reach out to each other–you can’t put a price on the positive affiliation GCSU gets from being a part of the festival.”
     During 2007’s festival, GCSU students paid a $5 cover charge to enter the festival during the day, and that charge remained the same for students even as it rose to $10 for admittance at night. A potential result of Sweetwater losing GCSU’s sponsorship would be a waiving of that student discount, or the removal of the music main stage altogether. 
     “College students mainly go for the music,” said Brad Christopher, a sophomore at GCSU. “If ticket prices increased, I’d still go, but the school should not be responsible for the festival’s outcome.”
       Holder says that the committee’s plan is to be flexible enough with the campus to continue making Sweetwater an exciting event for GCSU students and local residents alike.
     “It’s never easy finding funding,” Holder said. “There’s certainly other businesses we can speak to–the festival will still go on regardless.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 4 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry