Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> ARTS COMMISSION <br /> To: Board of County Commissioners <br /> From: Katie Murray <br /> Orange County Arts Commission Director and <br /> Member of the Local Fest Planning Committee <br /> Date: October 22, 2018 <br /> Subject: Summary of 2018 Orange County LocalFest <br /> The inaugural Orange County LocalFest took place Saturday, September 29, from 10am-6pm at Blackwood Farm Park. <br /> Overall, the event was a great success. Approximately 1,300 residents and 200 staff and volunteers attended the <br /> festival, which included live music, arts vendors, craft and cooking demonstrations, and nine food trucks. <br /> Shuttle drivers and festival staff reported overwhelmingly positive feedback from patrons. Attendees particularly <br /> enjoyed the variety of demonstrations, the beauty of Blackwood Farm Park, and the abundance of free activities for <br /> children. Patrons utilized the shuttle system and offered generally positive feedback about the ease of access and <br /> schedule. <br /> According to a post-event survey, arts, food, and beer vendors reported to have had an overall positive experience. Arts <br /> and food vendor sales ranked average-high compared to other similar events. The majority of vendors said they would <br /> participate in the event again, stating they had positive experiences regarding staff interactions, as well as festival load- <br /> in and load-out. Several challenges were pointed out, but were generally understood to be part of the learning curve <br /> associated with a first-time event. <br /> While the event was originally intended to be a fundraiser for the Cooperative Extension's Breeze Farm, large scale <br /> fundraising proved challenging. However, the event remained within its designated budget, and about $2,000 was <br /> raised for the Breeze Farm through donations and sponsorships. <br /> As part of planning for any subsequent LocalFest events, the full staff team participated in a debriefing session. Several <br /> opportunities for improvement were identified by this staff group, a solicitation of feedback from Commissioners, and <br /> the vendor survey, including the following: <br /> • Timing of festival: Concern was expressed regarding the festival taking place the same weekend as Carrboro's <br /> largest annual event, the Carrboro Music Festival. While fall is the busiest time of year for community festivals, <br /> next year's planning committee will make every effort not to compete with any of the signature annual festivals <br /> that take place throughout the county. Options for next year will be discussed with Blackwood Farm Park staff to <br /> determine the best date to host the event. Lastly, the length of the festival itself was discussed with a <br /> preference to shorten the festival by starting at noon rather than 10:00 AM. <br /> ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION <br /> 200 South Cameron Street I Hillsborough,NC 27278 <br /> 919.245.2335 1 www.artsorange.org I arts @orangecountync.gov <br />