Live Oak — The very first 311 Pow Wow Music Festival 2011 happened this past weekend at the beautiful Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fla, bringing about 20,000 fans to the area over the course of three days. In these gloomy days of financial downturn and stock market declines, there was little evidence of that in Suwannee County during this big event.
In fact, most of the fans drove thousands of miles or flew in for this first 311 Band festival held on the banks of the famous Suwannee River in Florida‘s largest privately owned and most active music park in the south. While the water levels might have been a bit low on the Suwannee River, the enthusiasm of the fans and appreciation of the community businesses was absolutely running over.
Checking with various businesses at I-10 and US 129 business area and in downtown Live Oak was revealing.
“Yes, the Pow Wow has helped with sales here at Walmart,” Live Oak Walmart co-manager Leandra Howard said. “They are buying beer, camping supplies such as tents and chairs, water and such.” Howard added that Walmart always prepares in advance with an adequate supply of camping equipment on hand when the SOSMP is having large events such as the Pow Wow because those fans always spend money there. She said since this was the first Pow Wow, there was no way to know exactly how many might attend but her company estimated in advance to be prepared for about 20,000 people. They hit it right on the button.
Manager Andrew Carlucci was working hard on the grill at the Huddle House Saturday and couldn’t stop for an interview but a waitress there spoke on his behalf, saying people from the Pow Wow had stood in line during the breakfast hours for days waiting for tables and the restaurant had generally been packed.
Econo Lodge Assistant Manager Lydia Lloyd said Saturday the hotel has “been full for the past two days. We generally only are booked up during Wanee and the Jam but this one is new.”
Lloyd said Econo Lodge always does a lot of business when the SOSMP has large events.
Neighboring hotel Best Western was another business that was happy to see the festival.
“We were sold out,” said clerk Heather Johnson on Monday.
“There’s been a steady flow of people since Thursday,” Holiday Inn Express front desk clerk Shannon Luyando said Saturday. In fact, she said, the hotel had been completely sold out for days. “Although we tell people we have no vacancies, the heat is causing folks to want to have at least one night in the hotel so they keep coming back and checking with us and some have gotten rooms when others checked out to go to other events.”
The S&S Food Store at US 129 and I-10 was busy on Thursday and Friday and steady on Saturday, the last day of the event. One person reported they went into McDonald’s at 3 a.m. Saturday morning and had to wait in line for 45 minutes due to the large crowd of people there. Cha Ching.
Suwannee Plaza at I-10 Subway employee Rashenia Wood laughed Saturday afternoon when asked if Subway’s business had been impacted by the SOSMP’s Pow Wow.
“It has very, very much (been impacted),” she said. “We have a lot of business from the Pow Wow and have had for days before it started.”
Downtown Live Oak also got a lot of business. Pizza Hut Assistant Manager Jeremy Clark said the restaurant served a lot of customers from the SOSMP’s Pow Wow for days during the event, and his business appreciates it.
“We always get a lot of customers from the park’s events,” he added.
Local eatery Dixie Grill felt the impact as well.
“Yes, we had some of them today (Saturday), some for breakfast and lunch and some said they were coming back for dinner,” said a spokesperson for the Dixie Grill in downtown Live Oak.
CEO and President of SOSMP James Cornett said the Pow Wow brought Live Oak a new set of fans who may come back for a visit. He indicated that over the course of the weekend the festival drew some 20,000 fans to the SOSMP and to the North Florida area.
“The fans are mostly from New Jersey, New York and that area with some from South Florida,” Cornett said. “They are mostly 25-40 year olds and all smiles.”
Since this is the first 311 Pow Wow, the fans are basically new to the SOSMP and the North Florida area, Cornett said.
“This festival has given area residents and businesses a rare opportunity to develop a relationship with an entire new set of fans, some who likely will return to visit this area’s springs, rivers, resorts and perhaps even purchase property in the North Florida area as a result of their first impressions during this weekend,” Cornett stated. “We have been very fortunate to have attracted the crowds we have to our wide range of music festivals,” Cornett stated. “However, under current conditions, we have not been successful at attracting promoters of more diverse and upscale events due to the lack of a variety of motel rooms and dining facilities.”
Not only does the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, it’s festivals and events such as 311 Pow Wow, Magnolia Fest, Labor Day Get-A-Way, Fall Suwannee River Jubilee, Blackwater Music Festival, Old Tyme Farm Days, Jambando In The Park II, Bear Creek Music and Art Festival, Raid On The Suwannee Civil War Re-enactment and more impact the economy, but the tourism it and other industry brings brightens the economic future of the entire North Florida area. The SOSMP is open 365 days a year with approximately 80 full time employees—not counting the numerous civic groups and others who work the special events. Throughout the year approximately 600,000 guests annually visit the park, many of whom frequent surrounding community businesses like the guests at the 311 Pow Wow, who are now raving on the Internet about the festival and the hospitality displayed by residents in this area.
http://suwanneedemocrat.com/suwannee/x906053938/311-Pow-Wow-boosts-local-economy
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