Ocrafolk Festival Considers Changes for 2018
Ocracoke Alive is considering changes to the 2018 Ocrafolk Festival and we would like your feedback. Please help us out by reading the following and filling out the form below.
What changes? We are considered gating the seating areas of the festival and requiring an admission arm band enter seating areas.
Why are the changes being considered? The expenses of the event have grown significantly over the past 10 years. Our voluntary donation program is not bringing in the revenue to pay for the event, so in order to continue producing Ocrafolk Festival we need to look at other alternatives.
How can you help? We would love your input in our decision making process. Please read the following article and fill out the online anonymous form. Thanks!
What changes? We are considered gating the seating areas of the festival and requiring an admission arm band enter seating areas.
Why are the changes being considered? The expenses of the event have grown significantly over the past 10 years. Our voluntary donation program is not bringing in the revenue to pay for the event, so in order to continue producing Ocrafolk Festival we need to look at other alternatives.
How can you help? We would love your input in our decision making process. Please read the following article and fill out the online anonymous form. Thanks!
Ocracoke Alive Considers Changes for Ocrafolk Festival, Seeks Community Input.
In 2018, Ocracoke Alive’s Ocrafolk Festival will turn 19 years old. What started in 2000 as a small, single day event on the grounds of the Berkley Manor has grown to a three-day weekend that draws faithful followers from around the country for a celebration of music, stories, artisans, and the Ocracoke community.
With the growth of the event, Ocracoke Alive has worked to listen to the needs of the community, increasing performance locations around the village, bringing the performers to Ocracoke School students, and implementing the ideas and feedback of the Ocracoke residents and Ocrafolk fans. The island nonprofit is once again asking for community input.
The growth of the festival has resulted in an increase in its infrastructure and expenses. In 2017, the Ocrafolk Festival expenses were around $67,000, with an income of $69,000 after Cost of Goods. Around half of the expenses go towards businesses right in the Ocracoke community, with the remaining expenses covering visiting performers, equipment rental, and insurance. A little under $30,000 in pre-festival sponsorships comes from a faithful group of Ocrafolk fans, $6000 from Hyde County Occupancy Taxes, $18,000 from product sales, $5000 from a fundraising auction, and the remaining income from vendor fees. The bottom line from 2018? The event made around $2000.
The Ocrafolk Festival has relied upon voluntary admission contributions to date, but Ocracoke Alive is considering requiring admission bands to gated seating areas for 2018’s event. “We want to ensure that we maintain the spirit of this great community event, but we also need to be certain that the event is a successful fundraiser for Ocracoke Alive (and doesn’t bankrupt it), so that we can continue our mission of building cultural programming on Ocracoke,” says Executive Director, David Tweedie.
The suggested plan would not restrict visitors from strolling festival grounds (many of which are on public areas of the village), but would require attendees to have an admission armband to enter into audience seating areas. The 2017 “Requested Donation” level for visitors to support the festival was $25 for adults and $15 for kids for the weekend. Similar music and storytelling festivals throughout country commonly cost $40-50 per day per attendee.
As the festival has grown, it has drawn a greater audience, but the audience has become less inclined to make “voluntary” donations. Many consider the cost of coming to Ocracoke as their donation, and mistakenly believe that the event is completely sponsored by the town. “Their response to our requests for a donation is that they already spent a lot of money to be here,” says David. “Unfortunately, that sentiment doesn’t pay for the event or support Ocracoke Alive programming.”
Ocracoke Alive uses monies from activities like the Ocrafolk Festival to bring programming to the Ocracoke Community. The organization sponsors and directs the Ocracoke School Arts Partnership, supports Ocracoke Arts week, produces the Festival Latino de Ocracoke, and summertime programs. In 2018, Ocracoke Alive will produce Julia Howard’s A Tale of Blackbeard, and will sponsor visiting director, Karen Gulotta who will be working with Ocracoke students in the spring.
Ocracoke Alive requests Ocracoke community members and Ocrafolk Festival fans to give their input on these proposed changes through the below form. Click on the link below to view a Profit and Loss summary from Ocrafolk Festival 2017.
Thanks for your help!
In 2018, Ocracoke Alive’s Ocrafolk Festival will turn 19 years old. What started in 2000 as a small, single day event on the grounds of the Berkley Manor has grown to a three-day weekend that draws faithful followers from around the country for a celebration of music, stories, artisans, and the Ocracoke community.
With the growth of the event, Ocracoke Alive has worked to listen to the needs of the community, increasing performance locations around the village, bringing the performers to Ocracoke School students, and implementing the ideas and feedback of the Ocracoke residents and Ocrafolk fans. The island nonprofit is once again asking for community input.
The growth of the festival has resulted in an increase in its infrastructure and expenses. In 2017, the Ocrafolk Festival expenses were around $67,000, with an income of $69,000 after Cost of Goods. Around half of the expenses go towards businesses right in the Ocracoke community, with the remaining expenses covering visiting performers, equipment rental, and insurance. A little under $30,000 in pre-festival sponsorships comes from a faithful group of Ocrafolk fans, $6000 from Hyde County Occupancy Taxes, $18,000 from product sales, $5000 from a fundraising auction, and the remaining income from vendor fees. The bottom line from 2018? The event made around $2000.
The Ocrafolk Festival has relied upon voluntary admission contributions to date, but Ocracoke Alive is considering requiring admission bands to gated seating areas for 2018’s event. “We want to ensure that we maintain the spirit of this great community event, but we also need to be certain that the event is a successful fundraiser for Ocracoke Alive (and doesn’t bankrupt it), so that we can continue our mission of building cultural programming on Ocracoke,” says Executive Director, David Tweedie.
The suggested plan would not restrict visitors from strolling festival grounds (many of which are on public areas of the village), but would require attendees to have an admission armband to enter into audience seating areas. The 2017 “Requested Donation” level for visitors to support the festival was $25 for adults and $15 for kids for the weekend. Similar music and storytelling festivals throughout country commonly cost $40-50 per day per attendee.
As the festival has grown, it has drawn a greater audience, but the audience has become less inclined to make “voluntary” donations. Many consider the cost of coming to Ocracoke as their donation, and mistakenly believe that the event is completely sponsored by the town. “Their response to our requests for a donation is that they already spent a lot of money to be here,” says David. “Unfortunately, that sentiment doesn’t pay for the event or support Ocracoke Alive programming.”
Ocracoke Alive uses monies from activities like the Ocrafolk Festival to bring programming to the Ocracoke Community. The organization sponsors and directs the Ocracoke School Arts Partnership, supports Ocracoke Arts week, produces the Festival Latino de Ocracoke, and summertime programs. In 2018, Ocracoke Alive will produce Julia Howard’s A Tale of Blackbeard, and will sponsor visiting director, Karen Gulotta who will be working with Ocracoke students in the spring.
Ocracoke Alive requests Ocracoke community members and Ocrafolk Festival fans to give their input on these proposed changes through the below form. Click on the link below to view a Profit and Loss summary from Ocrafolk Festival 2017.
Thanks for your help!