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If you run into one the 45 artists of the 2011 Meander and encounter a taut smile contrasting a limp physique, it is no cause for worry.
The most successful art event in the region will do that to even the most vigorous of the lot for it is wonderful business but an immense undertaking––and that’s before playing host to hundreds for three days straight.
Artists will meet collectively this week to exchange their accounts of the art crawl and later this month the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (RDC) will release official data compiled from artists, businesses and visitors.
In the meantime, reports leading up to the release of those figures are indicating that this, the eighth annual, Meander went exceedingly well. And perhaps nowhere better than in Granite Falls.
“What I have heard is that sales are up and the number of people are up,” said RDC Community Development Planner and Meander artist Kristi Fernholz. “Every year it seems like attendance grows.”
Since a small group of individuals first worked with the RDC to hatch the art crawl in 2004, data not only suggests that yearly attendance has in fact grown annually, but so to has the sale of art and most spillover expenditures on lodging, restaurants and retail.
“Overall,” says the RDC, “the Meander has evolved into a great boon to local artists, businesses, tourism and the Upper Minnesota River Valley Region as a cultural destination.”
Kick-off
Granite Falls may be the most keenly aware of the preceding statement following last Friday’s hugely successful Kick-Off, an event that seemed to kick-start the imagination of those who wondered if such a gathering, not named Western Fest, was still possible.
“It’s just nice to see that kind of excitement, we haven’t had that in a long time,” was a comment heard repeatedly, and in this case from Carl’s Bakery owner Tom Aus.
After several years of being held in Milan, the tiny artistic community due north recently relinquished its rights to host the Kick-off, allowing the Granite Falls Chamber of Commerce to jump at the opportunity to claim responsibility for the event, happily paying the $500 fee.
In conjunction with the City, CURE, Convention of Visitor’s Bureau (CVB), Granite Falls Riverfront Revitalization (GFRR) and Arts Council, the Chamber organized the event around the setting of the river in the heart of downtown where artists and businesses alike realized the impact.
“Everybody I talked to had really good business. The popcorn stand had a record night, I saw lines of people at Carl’s Bakery, the Legion had a nice full parking lot and Bootlegger’s was packed after the Kick-off ended. It exceeded expectations for a first year Kick-off. I think there were residual effects all across town,” said GFRR member Steve Virnig.
“Friday night was off the charts,” said artist Brad Hall, who had the best Meander of his career. “People from out of town, out of state and local, everybody I talked to, loved the Kick-off.”
Spurred by the Kick-off, photographer Gene Stukel also said that he had his best year estimating a 20 - 30 percent increase in sales. A similar account was reported by Paula Soine for her and her husband Curt.
All three of those artists presented their works in or near the heart of downtown. Other Granite Falls artists, if it was not there best year, reported at least being on par with preceding years.
On the business side, it was the restaurants who felt Friday’s strongest effects.
“It was amazing,” said Jimmy’s Pizza owner Veronica Tollifson. “I completely underestimated the amount of business we were going to receive. Tollifson said that by the time a pizza was made, slices were spoken for and that she was down to half-dozen dough balls left for pizza making by the end of the evening. “I wish I would have known,” she said. “I would have had more staff.”
Aus said that as soon as his employees had determined that they would stay open late for the event he was able to plan ahead for the Friday given his past experience. Each year, Kick-Off or not, he said, Carl’s sees a 30 - 40 percent increase in the weekend sales.
When you get people to travel through town they’re gong to come back,” Aus said. “Once I’ve had the gift of getting them here then I look at it as my job to make sure they come back.”
While other local businesses also experienced upticks in sales, in the future those in charge of planning the Kick-off said they are looking forward to figuring out ways to better involve other local businesses by possibly holding more events, that may run later into the evening. That alone may make it more likely that they would seek lodging in town.
According to Virnig, the Kick-off will be in Granite Falls for as long as the city wants to host it.
“I think overall it brought a lot more business into town and everyone’s looking forward to making it bigger next year,” he said.
If you run into one the 45 artists of the 2011 Meander and encounter a taut smile contrasting a limp physique, it is no cause for worry.
The most successful art event in the region will do that to even the most vigorous of the lot for it is wonderful business but an immense undertaking––and that’s before playing host to hundreds for three days straight.
Artists will meet collectively this week to exchange their accounts of the art crawl and later this month the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (RDC) will release official data compiled from artists, businesses and visitors.
In the meantime, reports leading up to the release of those figures are indicating that this, the eighth annual, Meander went exceedingly well. And perhaps nowhere better than in Granite Falls.
“What I have heard is that sales are up and the number of people are up,” said RDC Community Development Planner and Meander artist Kristi Fernholz. “Every year it seems like attendance grows.”
Since a small group of individuals first worked with the RDC to hatch the art crawl in 2004, data not only suggests that yearly attendance has in fact grown annually, but so to has the sale of art and most spillover expenditures on lodging, restaurants and retail.
“Overall,” says the RDC, “the Meander has evolved into a great boon to local artists, businesses, tourism and the Upper Minnesota River Valley Region as a cultural destination.”
Kick-off
Granite Falls may be the most keenly aware of the preceding statement following last Friday’s hugely successful Kick-Off, an event that seemed to kick-start the imagination of those who wondered if such a gathering, not named Western Fest, was still possible.
“It’s just nice to see that kind of excitement, we haven’t had that in a long time,” was a comment heard repeatedly, and in this case from Carl’s Bakery owner Tom Aus.
After several years of being held in Milan, the tiny artistic community due north recently relinquished its rights to host the Kick-off, allowing the Granite Falls Chamber of Commerce to jump at the opportunity to claim responsibility for the event, happily paying the $500 fee.
In conjunction with the City, CURE, Convention of Visitor’s Bureau (CVB), Granite Falls Riverfront Revitalization (GFRR) and Arts Council, the Chamber organized the event around the setting of the river in the heart of downtown where artists and businesses alike realized the impact.
“Everybody I talked to had really good business. The popcorn stand had a record night, I saw lines of people at Carl’s Bakery, the Legion had a nice full parking lot and Bootlegger’s was packed after the Kick-off ended. It exceeded expectations for a first year Kick-off. I think there were residual effects all across town,” said GFRR member Steve Virnig.
“Friday night was off the charts,” said artist Brad Hall, who had the best Meander of his career. “People from out of town, out of state and local, everybody I talked to, loved the Kick-off.”
Spurred by the Kick-off, photographer Gene Stukel also said that he had his best year estimating a 20 - 30 percent increase in sales. A similar account was reported by Paula Soine for her and her husband Curt.
All three of those artists presented their works in or near the heart of downtown. Other Granite Falls artists, if it was not there best year, reported at least being on par with preceding years.
On the business side, it was the restaurants who felt Friday’s strongest effects.
“It was amazing,” said Jimmy’s Pizza owner Veronica Tollifson. “I completely underestimated the amount of business we were going to receive. Tollifson said that by the time a pizza was made, slices were spoken for and that she was down to half-dozen dough balls left for pizza making by the end of the evening. “I wish I would have known,” she said. “I would have had more staff.”
Aus said that as soon as his employees had determined that they would stay open late for the event he was able to plan ahead for the Friday given his past experience. Each year, Kick-Off or not, he said, Carl’s sees a 30 - 40 percent increase in the weekend sales.
When you get people to travel through town they’re gong to come back,” Aus said. “Once I’ve had the gift of getting them here then I look at it as my job to make sure they come back.”
While other local businesses also experienced upticks in sales, in the future those in charge of planning the Kick-off said they are looking forward to figuring out ways to better involve other local businesses by possibly holding more events, that may run later into the evening. That alone may make it more likely that they would seek lodging in town.
According to Virnig, the Kick-off will be in Granite Falls for as long as the city wants to host it.
“I think overall it brought a lot more business into town and everyone’s looking forward to making it bigger next year,” he said.
