Whatever happened to Edgefest?

[warreng88]

When I was in high school and early college, Edgefest is all me and my friends looked forward to every year and then it just went away. Any idea why?

[zstyles]

haha! I was just thinking about that the other day, we went one year, it was interesting, can't say I would go again...but did meet some interesting people at those...

[Conan71]

Music festivals can be really difficult to organize, find sponsors, and to make enough money to make it worthwhile.  Reggaefest has come and gone a couple of times.  D-Fest lasted four or five years before its demise. 

I think part of the problem may be that when they start out it's with less expensive talent and a smaller scale.  The promoter figures: "Hey, that was a smashing success, I will make it bigger next year and book some better known acts..."  The costs start to escalate, ticket prices have to go up and eventually the value must not exceed the ticket price, or it simply becomes such a financial risk without a major backer (as I recall State Farm backing out of D-Fest is what killed that) the promoter decides to not do the event.  Not sure that's exactly what happened with Edgefest, but it's a basic sketch of what happened with D-Fest.  It's quite possible the promotions directer changed at The Edge and differing philosophies could have done it in.

It's not an easy business.

[Hoss]

I was under the impression that Edgefest sort of morphed into Rocklahoma.

I went to the first two Edgefests back in the mid-nineties when they had them out at Mohawk.  That first year was brutal.  Hot one day, then so much rain the next and it was a mud pit.  I never drank so much beer in my life as I did at the first one.  Wow.

[warreng88]

I was under the impression that Edgefest sort of morphed into Rocklahoma.

But Rocklahoma didn't start until 2007 and Edgefest and had been pretty well dead for several years at that point. The last one I remember was Velvet Revolver headlining Edgefest 2004 and it felt like it was going downhill at that point.

[Hoss]

But Rocklahoma didn't start until 2007 and Edgefest and had been pretty well dead for several years at that point. The last one I remember was Velvet Revolver headlining Edgefest 2004 and it felt like it was going downhill at that point.

That doesn't mean it didn't morph from it.  Although it doesn't mean it did either.  Remember that KMYZ still holds it's license as a company out of Pryor.

[zstyles]

A fest is a fest is a festlahoma....I am sure they are all connected somehow as in most industries...

(squirrel!) gotta tell you I wish I would a thought of this "color run, color walk, color dive, color me on the toilet" thing years ago....that thing is a racket across the GLOBE

That thing has to RAKE in the money..think about it. LITTLE/Medicore overhead other than marketing, put some colored flour in little bags, give it to people, charge them 80.00 each to enter, have them run around a block or two than you have volunteers THROWING the color sacks at people(yes they paid to get pelted by corn starch)..than give them a little party at the end...average attendance 5-10-15k people...EACH city. The tour I saw they had 40 cities on the books. NOW THAT is how you do it!

[carltonplace]

haha-Re: (squirrel)

Same is true for the Warrior dash

Find empty lot in the middle of nowheres, charge $10 per car parking, >$50 for event, give a tee-shirt, hat and "medal" and a lukewarm miller lite. Get a bunch of unpaid volunteers to run it. KAA-CHING