The government of Pittsylvania County, Virginia released a statement today about the Blue Ridge Rock Festival held there over the weekend. It was the biggest event in the history of the county, bringing in a reported 40,000 people. That is according to some press reports this morning, although this statement says 33,000 daily. We’ll go with the county government here. There was opposition to the event before it was held among some in the community and a lot of complaints – and praise among attendees – for it as it took place. The implications of the statement is that there will be future events. Here is the statement:
“Pittsylvania County staff and many other regulating agencies worked tirelessly with Purpose Driven Events over the past several months to review plans for the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, which ran from September 9-12. As the first event of this scale in Pittsylvania County’s history, this four-day music festival, which was attended by approximately 33,000 fans daily, was extremely successful and will serve as a springboard for future events.”
“When in excess of 20,000 campers arrived during a very short time-frame on Wednesday, the event promotor’s on-site camping and traffic vendors were overwhelmed. At the request of Purpose Driven Events, Pittsylvania County assumed control of all operations outside of the event gates, including transportation services, beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday. That shift led to immediate and sustained improvement for the remainder of the festival, with each day proceeding smoother than the day before. After some difficulties early in the festival, operations on Saturday and Sunday were flawless.”
“Thanks to the tireless work of hundreds from the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, Pittsylvania County Public Safety, Virginia Department of Transportation, and members of the County’s volunteer fire and rescue agencies, the event proceeded without major incidents. There were minimal law enforcement incidents outside of and inside the event grounds, which is a testament to the careful planning and excellent execution from the many regulating agencies that were involved and a testament to the fans, who were courteous, helpful and largely positive about the way the event improved each day. All direct costs of services from Pittsylvania County and other regulating agencies are being reimbursed by Purpose Driven Events.”
“While the numbers will not be in for another week, the food and beverage tax that Pittsylvania County will receive should be in excess of $100,000. The Blue Ridge Rock Festival undoubtedly had a positive economic impact on not just Pittsylvania County and businesses within Pittsylvania County, but the entire region. Pittsylvania County leaders are thrilled that Pittsylvania County is home to the Blue Ridge Ampitheater and look forward to working with Purpose Driven Events on future events and music festivals.”
The statement was posted on Facebook:
Five days a week we send out an email full of the top business and regional headlines of the day compiled by WallStreetWindow.com. To get access to these free alerts just subscribe by clicking here.
