According to unofficial information made available to SRC, the 2017 Bradley County Tomato Festival finished the year with a substantial surplus. The reason appears to be continued strong support by the public and business community in making donations, strong revenue from fees and sales, outstanding fund raising activities ( including the steak cook off and trap shooting activities ) and very solid control of expenditures by the committee and it's Treasure. Efforts have been made to raise more money to assist with the festival by utilizing fund raising activities. The process seems to have worked.
The committee for several years has talked about the need to have some carryover funds each year in order to have seed money to kick off the next year's festival while fund raising is gearing up. It appears that goal has been reached. It says something about Warren and Bradley County that the crowds have been large and the festival activities outstanding. Compare that to many other community festivals that have struggled with sufficient funding to keep operating. Just look at Riverfest in Little Rock. It has ceased to exist. It is also important to acknowledge those among us who have worked hard to raise the sufficient funds to make the festival a success and to thank those who give and contribute.
The committee over the past years has worked to strengthen the festival's financial base while continuing to produce a top notch festival, including high quality entertainment that draws large crowds both locally and from outside the county. From every indication, that effort has been successful. We look forward to many more years of fun and well managed festivals. Nothing is free. It takes money to make the festival successful. It is also important that the festival keep promoting itself with well known and popular entertainment. Maintaining carryover funds for next year is smart and the right thing to do.
Sources have informed SRC that one or more organizations in the county ( not government entities ) may have their eyes set on some of the surplus money. To give any of the surplus money away for anything outside of the chamber and festival committee would be unwise and wrong. It would not be in keeping with the purpose of the money donated and raised. We would strongly object!
It has been further stated that there are those within the community that seem to want the festival to cut back on expenses by eliminating the high quality star entertainment that has been brought in for the Saturday night concert that concludes the festival. Again we believe this to be shortsighted and would harm the success of the festival. The concept of having a "big" name draw for Saturday night has proven to be a success in drawing huge crowds and making the Pink Tomato Festival one of the largest and most successful in Arkansas. No one should be allowed to mess up a good thing for the community.
The committee for several years has talked about the need to have some carryover funds each year in order to have seed money to kick off the next year's festival while fund raising is gearing up. It appears that goal has been reached. It says something about Warren and Bradley County that the crowds have been large and the festival activities outstanding. Compare that to many other community festivals that have struggled with sufficient funding to keep operating. Just look at Riverfest in Little Rock. It has ceased to exist. It is also important to acknowledge those among us who have worked hard to raise the sufficient funds to make the festival a success and to thank those who give and contribute.
The committee over the past years has worked to strengthen the festival's financial base while continuing to produce a top notch festival, including high quality entertainment that draws large crowds both locally and from outside the county. From every indication, that effort has been successful. We look forward to many more years of fun and well managed festivals. Nothing is free. It takes money to make the festival successful. It is also important that the festival keep promoting itself with well known and popular entertainment. Maintaining carryover funds for next year is smart and the right thing to do.
Sources have informed SRC that one or more organizations in the county ( not government entities ) may have their eyes set on some of the surplus money. To give any of the surplus money away for anything outside of the chamber and festival committee would be unwise and wrong. It would not be in keeping with the purpose of the money donated and raised. We would strongly object!
It has been further stated that there are those within the community that seem to want the festival to cut back on expenses by eliminating the high quality star entertainment that has been brought in for the Saturday night concert that concludes the festival. Again we believe this to be shortsighted and would harm the success of the festival. The concept of having a "big" name draw for Saturday night has proven to be a success in drawing huge crowds and making the Pink Tomato Festival one of the largest and most successful in Arkansas. No one should be allowed to mess up a good thing for the community.
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