'A hard decision.' What went into popular Springfield festival being put on hiatus
Logan Elliott of Modesto describes himself as a major music fan who has supported the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ through the years.
"It's a great draw for people," Elliott said recently. "You really do hate to see it go. But I know the volunteer effort it takes to put it on."
Barry Friedman, organizer of the downtown Springfield festival, announced last week that the late August staple was going on hiatus for 2024. He acquired the rights to run it in 2016.
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The two-day festival, which included at times a blues competition and a barbecue competition, drew names like Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Spin Doctors and Kim Wilson and the Fabulous Thunderbirds and generated about $100,000 downtown, Friedman said.
"We didn't want to put it on hiatus," he admitted. "I wanted to make it to 20 years (this summer). It was a hard decision.
"Nobody's more upset than me. We thought it was the premier event downtown."
Everything, Friedman said, jumped up in price.
For instance, bands the festival was paying $35,000 to $50,000 to are now commanding $80,000, he said.
It also didn't have a main underwriter and Friedman felt there were only so many companies in Springfield he could go to.
"You can't bark up the same tree all of the time," he said.
Weather is also a wildcard. High winds, Friedman recalled, almost took down the stage on the festival's first night last year. Headliner Albert Castiglia performed his set at Friedman's bar, The Alamo.
The next evening was clear for headliner Selwyn Birchwood, "but you can't recoup costs in one night."
New Downtown Springfield, Inc. executive director Carlos Ortega said losing any type of activity that supports the downtown community is "upsetting to the downtown economy."
It's "hit or miss," he said, about how festivals affect the economic ecosystem.
"There's more to be done than having festivals downtown," Ortega said. "How do we engage downtown businesses and make it a place for people to live?
"DSI is about engaging people in a more comprehensive fashion."
Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau director Scott Dahl said he was hoping the absence of the festival was a one-time thing.
"The Old Capitol Blues & BBQ festival has been a tradition in Springfield," he said. "I hope they'll be back again in 2025. It certainly is a strong community event, a quality-of-life event. I know a lot of the community looks forward to it every year."
Another downtown music festival, AbeFest, has been on hiatus now for two summers.
Friedman and Tim Smith, a Springfield architect, first put on AbeFest in 2019 when the Smithereens (with vocalist Marshall Crenshaw) and the BoDeans performed.
It moved to the BoS Center and Plaza in subsequent years but hasn't been staged since 2022.
"I've always felt people need to understand if they want these things that they have to buy tickets," Smith said.
Friedman admitted that some people complained about the $10 entry to the blues festival, but "there's a lot of factors that people don't understand."
The plan, Friedman said, is to regroup and examine the possibility of returning in 2025.
But he knows the absence this year will have an effect on downtown, his business included.
"You either have 10,000 people downtown or you don't," he said.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; [email protected]; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Why the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ festival is on hiatus in Springfield
