Effect of the economy on music festivals

Trad Irish Music
1

The sad state of the economy affects more than just our retirement funds. More immediate than retirement (for me at least) is: the prospect of music festivals this summer.

How will our favorite music festivals fare in these tough times?

The last time I checked the web site for the Catskills Irish Arts Week (CIAW), there was a blurb stating that the latest NY State budget has removed funding that NY State used to provide to the CIAW. Over $10k, if memory serves… (the web site isn’t responding at the moment.) The web site went on to say, basically, “Contact your representatives to tell them to support the CIAW.”

(As a NY State resident, I do hope that NYS continues to support the CIAW. It’s easy for me to imagine some of those small business in East Durham going out of business, and obviously, businesses that have closed will not be paying any taxes to the NYS coffers. But, I digress.)

There isn’t any grand point I’m trying to make… I’m just concerned about whether music festivals will wither and die in these dire economic conditions.

Incidentally: Anyone else planning on going to CIAW? I’ll be there for parts of it, but, it’s always impractical for me to spend the entire week there.

2

That is very sad and short-sighted of NY State. Of all sectors of the economy, government-funded parties have no excuse to cut their spending when they’re trying to get everyone else to keep spending, and $10k seems like a drop in the bucket for NY State.

I fear you may be right, and many festivals will be on a reduced scale or non-existant this year. It’s too much of a gamble for the organisers and the stallholders.