Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Hot Fun in the Summertime XXVIII beach music festival is expected to draw beach music fans to Stuart on Friday and Saturday in what has become a summer tradition and a boon for businesses.
The festival will be held Friday and Saturday at Wayside Park in Stuart.
Music will begin at 6 p.m. Friday and at noon on Saturday, according to Stanley Fain, an event organizer.
Tickets are the same price as last year, Fain said.
“We intentionally kept the prices the same as last year” to keep the event affordable in the current economic situation, Fain said.
With the cost of an advance weekend pass fixed at $35, “you can’t hardly beat the value,” he said.
Weekend passes are $45 at the gate.
Tickets also are available for separate events, with advance tickets for the Saturday show only $25 and $30 at the gate. Friday show only tickets are $15 advance and $20 at the gate.
Bands scheduled to perform Saturday include Showtime, the Band of Oz, The Embers, the Foddrells and Mardi Gras with Sammy O’Banion.
The Friday venue, which has proven to be a fan favorite, features Showtime, the Foddrells and Billy Scott & the Party Prophets, Fain said.
“The addition of the Friday show has really affected the overall quality of the entire event,” Fain said, adding the show was added a few years ago.
When it began, the festival was planned only as a music event, Fain said.
With the addition of a Friday show, “it has become more of a destination” for a weekend getaway for many fans, Fain said. “We have people coming from miles and miles away” to camp out, stay in local motels or otherwise spend the weekend.
Now, the two-day beach fest is an example of “tourism at its best,” Fain said, adding local businesses benefit from the influx of visitors.
Tom Bishop, executive director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce said businesses get a spike in business as a result of the festival.
“Sometimes, it’s not real obvious,” Bishop said, adding the spike includes “hidden things” that are difficult to measure, such as increased sales of fuel, groceries, prepared food and other items.
“It would be hard” to estimate the increase, Bishop said, “but it’s there.”
The weather forecast also seems to be cooperating, Fain said.
“It’s supposed to be hot and a little humid,” he said, adding the conditions will be ideal for a beach fest, while the breezy natural amphitheater setting also will ensure guests are comfortable.
When completing some of the paperwork required for the event, Fain said, organizers must include the ages of attendees.
“We put from 21 to 81” years old, he said. “That is a true representation of our guests, and we welcome all.”
To Wayside Park from south of Stuart, take Virginia 8. Turn right onto Wayside Road; go about two miles and turn left onto Wayside Park Road.
From Martinsville, Danville and points east, follow U.S. 58 through Patrick Springs, turn left onto Virginia 727, and follow the signs.
Parking is $5 per day. On-site camping is available for $30 per night for one tent or RV per space.
Handicapped accessible sites are available.
Amenities include hot showers, clean flush toilets, more than 200 electric hook-ups, water to fill tanks, dump station.
For more information on camping, call 276-692-5239.
Concessions also will be available.
Advance tickets can be purchased in Henry County at several locations, including Village Spa, On the Run, The Old Country Store and River Bank.
Several ticket outlets also are in Patrick County, among them: On the Run, Stuart Communications, All Seasons and Hazelwood Trucking.
For advance tickets and/or additional information, visit www.stuartbeachmusic.com. |
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