Michelle Hohmeier said the Festus Main Street Association Art & Music Festival she helped organize drew thousands to downtown Festus, much to the delight of downtown business owners.
The event was held Saturday and Sunday (May 2-3) on Main Street, which was closed between Mill Street and Brierton Lane most of the weekend. In past years, the festival had always taken place on a single day.
She said crowd estimates at a free-flowing outdoor event like the Art & Music Festival are difficult, but organizers said somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 people attended over the weekend.
“Everybody seemed to like it (the two-day format),” said Hohmeier, owner of Tree of Life Home Décor on Festus Main Street. “We definitely look forward to keeping this format next year.”
The festival, known as the Festus Art Walk the last two years and other names prior to that, concentrated on music on Saturday and on art on Sunday this year.
A pub crawl, also sponsored by the Festus Main Street Association, was held Saturday and offered drinks at nine different establishments for those who purchased a ticket.
Hohmeier called the pub crawl “a major success.”
The Saturday live music performances occurred from the afternoon into the night. One act, the Brad Alan Band, played a double set when the band scheduled to perform before it, Mojosaurus, canceled due to a medical emergency for one of its members.
Sunday’s art day offered nearly 70 artists displaying and selling fine arts, handmade crafts and artisan foods, Hohmeier said. Live music performances continued Sunday.
She said two businesses – Ember & Earth, as well as The Tanglefoot Dance Hall – had their initial openings at the festival. Another business, Cobblestone Frame & Art Gallery, had a grand reopening, she said.
Ample food options were available at the festival with many Main Street businesses expanding hours Saturday and Sunday, as well as the addition of several food trucks.
Overall, downtown businesses experienced a surge in sales during the weekend, Hohmeier said. “Local businesses reported a substantial boost in activity, with many experiencing up to three times their typical Saturday sales,” she said. “Food vendors also saw exceptional turnout, with some trucks serving customers until nearly 10 p.m. due to continued demand.”
Hohmeier said generally pleasant weather helped encourage people to participate in the Art & Music Festival.
“We are very happy with the attendance,” she said. “We’re very happy the community came out and supported the Festus Main Street Association.”
