Following two years affected by COVID-19, the festival returned to the format people were used to in 2022.
“Last year showed us this local event is what we refer to as a Springfield tradition that even a pandemic couldn’t take away,” said SAC executive director Tim Rowe.
While festivalgoers can look forward to embracing the familiar, getting there has become a bigger challenge for the SAC.
“The festival is harder to program,” Rowe said. “Coming out of the pandemic, artists, their agents and reps have started earlier to get bookings, and presenters have had to book earlier. We began this in August and finished in December.”
Previously, bookings didn’t begin until the end of the year. But it also gives the chance to look at other potential acts for 2024.
The cost is another factor. Previously, booking an act usually required one hotel room if they are from out of the area. Now it requires two rooms to three among the expenses.
The festival costs about $400,000, about half that fee goes to the acts alone, which makes the intermission pass-the-hat donation at each show important. The goal is again to raise $60,000 to $65,000 in 2023.
Rowe focused on the formula in booking acts that audiences respond to, including bringing back favorites and adding fresh ones to discover.
The season will open with the Youth Arts Ambassadors Broadway in the Park presentation of “Disney’s Newsies, Jr.”, June 14-16.
“Tributes are a staple of outdoor festivals, and we try to look at ones that reach wide audiences,” said Rowe.
Two of the most popular acts of the 1990s lead new tributes – Simply Spice: The Spice Girls Tribute and The Ten Band: Tribute to Pearl Jam. Other new tributes include Hollywood Swinging – The Tribute to Kool and the Gang; Turn to Stone: The ELO Tribute; Superstar – The Carpenters Reimagined; Fleetwood Gold – The Fleetwood Mac Experience; and I Am King: The Michael Jackson Experience.
Returning audience-pleasing tributes include Resurrection – The Journey Tribute; The PettyBreakers – Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; Material Girls; Queen Nation – A Tribute to the Music of Queen; ABBAMania Canada – The Music of ABBA; and Elton Rohn: North America’s Premiere Elton John Tribute. The latter was rained out at intermission, and this year will be a chance to experience the full concert.
What was the best-attended 2022 show also returns, That Arena Rock Show. Rowe said it was a no-brainer to bring them back, along with Resurrection, which people love.
“Arena Rock is a high-quality reproduction of songs, costumes and a light show of every one of the bands they do that makes it like being at an arena rock show,” he said. “Resurrection loves coming to Springfield each year.”
Original groups will appear including Ohio country rockers McGuffey Lane, who many grooved to the ‘80s, who will perform with three original members. Dayton sister act Adelee & Gentry play folk-pop that local audiences may have heard at ChalkFest events each fall.
More area talent will include Springfield singer-songwriter Griffin House, who has a loyal festival following; the Nehemiah Hope and Unity Concert, Phil Dirt and the Dozers and Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers.
Week one will include the return of KidsFest, aimed at the younger set, along with Parrothead Party in the Park that always complements the Parrots of the Caribbean concert, also in week one.
Fresh added events will be “Wine, Women & Waterloo Weekend,” June 22-24, tying in with ABBAMania, and “Fleetwood Mac ‘n Cheese Tasting” on July 15 as part of that tribute.
While festivals have come and gone, this has remained one of the longest consecutive such free events in the country. Rowe said the coming together of family, friends and neighbors goes beyond just the featured act on any given evening.
“We’re fortunate to be in a community whose businesses and population continue to support this festival after almost six decades. We couldn’t be prouder to host it,” he said.
For the festival’s full lineup and dates, go to www.springfieldartscouncil.org/.
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