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Summer music festival in jeopardy
Bad weather and dismal corporate sponsorships could spell the cancellation of the 2009 season of the Loudoun Summer Music Fest, which brings national musical acts to Ashburn each year.“It's possible,” said Tracey Parent, president of the Loudoun Foundation, which organizes the event. “But we'll know more in a few weeks.”
The nonprofit hemorrhaged money in 2008 due to frequent showers that forced the cancellation of a couple concerts, leaving the foundation in a financial hole to start the 2009 season.
Now adding to the problem is the recession. Companies, Parent said, are not as willing as they were in the past to sponsor the event, which raises money for Loudoun charities.
This is the second year in a row the fate of the series has looked bleak. In late 2007, AOL, facing its own financial difficulties, announced it was backing out as the concert series' main sponsor, forcing the foundation to scramble to find new sources of funding.
Eventually, two corporate sponsors – Infinitive, a local management consultancy, and OpenBand, an M.C. Dean company -- did surface, saving the 2008 season.
To help save this season, Parent said the foundation for the first time is offering “Friends of the Loudoun Music Fest” lifetime memberships. They include tickets to all concerts, special parking, backstage access and invitations to this year's preseason launch party featuring members of the rock band Counting Crows. Cost is $400 and memberships must be purchased before April 1.
“We're not ready to pull the plug just yet,” Parent said.
Launched in 2004, the series is held at Belmont Country Club on Route 7. In the past, it has attracted such acts as Pat Benatar, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blues Traveler.
To learn more, see www.liveatbelmont.com.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com
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