BUTTE - While the music draws people from everywhere, Butte’s Montana Folk Festival is also a great draw for the local economy.
“Ah, the folk festival is like our Super Bowl. It’s literally one of the most fun weekends of the entire year for us,” said 5518 Designs co-owner Jon Wick.
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Many small businesses like 5518 Designs in Uptown say the festival is a big economic boost. The owner of Isle of Books and Books business booms during the festival.
“The Saturday of folk fest has historically been the busiest day of the year for most, I mean, some of Christmas can give it a run for its money, but statistically it’s been our busiest day,” said Medellee Antonioli owner of Isle of Books and Books.
The free, three-day music festival brings in between $8 to $10 million in revenue to Butte’s economy, according to festival organizers.
“We also circle this weekend on our calendar every single year,” said Wick. “Every year, we have a tradition of coming out with a brand-new Folk Festival-specific design that we sell in the store to just kind of cater to the crowd here who are all excited to go dancing all weekend long and those have been a great hit for us.”
Some people attending the festival who haven’t been to Butte in a while noticed the Uptown seems revitalized.
“It does look like a lot of the storefronts that were vacant the last time I was here, which was a long time ago, are occupied and have new businesses in them, so very exciting,” said Seattle resident Shanti Breznau.
Like the 20 artists performing on the six stages of the festival, businesses owners say this is also their time to shine.
“It’s a goal for me to have as a business to try to get what I can to put my best foot forward, because thousands of people walk in the door. It’s like when you clean your house before relatives come over or something,” said Antonioli.
Overview of the festival:
The Montana Folk Festival features performances and demonstrations by over 200 of the nation’s finest musicians, dancers, and craftspeople. It showcases multiple performances by more than 20 Artists/groups on six stages including a dance pavilion dedicated to participatory dancing, a family stage with performances appealing to children of all ages, and a Montana folklife stage. In addition to the performance stages, there are several themed festival areas: the Montana Folklife Area, the Family Area, two Festival Marketplaces and the Festival Food Courts.
The festival runs from July 11 throught July 13; click here to visit the website for more details.
