Organizers ask Vienna for $15,000 to help fund festival, cite local economic benefits
February 23, 2025 | Vienna, Wood County, West Virginia
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An event representative at a recent meeting said last year’s total expenses for the festival were “just a little over $15,000” and that organizers are requesting $15,000 in city support for this year.
The request matters, the representative said, because festival attendees spend money across the city and the event helps local food and craft vendors. “Approximately … 70 to $80 per person that comes [is] spent … in the city of Vienna,” Speaker 4, a meeting participant, said, adding that vendors “see huge upticks in sales because they have that option to come to our festival.” Speaker 1, another participant, described the per‑person figure as “$60 a person” and noted that the number of attendees is an estimate.
Speakers discussed the economic impact figures cited by organizers. One participant asked about a wide numeric range mentioned for economic impact — “the 600,000 to 9,001,200,000,000.0” — and asked for clarification about what that range means for the city of Vienna (Speaker 3). Organizers characterized the per‑person spending as including dining and other purchases around the festival but did not provide a single, reconciled total economic‑impact number during the discussion.
Participants also raised scheduling concerns with nearby Parkersburg’s event calendar. Speaker 3 asked whether Parkersburg should avoid holding its event the same weekend as Vienna’s festival. Speaker 4 said their event is scheduled “20 seventh and '20 eighth,” which they described as “the weekend before the July 4,” and said scheduling choices affect city overtime and salary costs.
No formal vote or official action was recorded in the transcript segment provided. The discussion in the meeting centered on the funding request, estimates of attendee spending, vendor benefits, and potential calendar conflicts with a Parkersburg event.
The meeting transcript shows the financial request and economic estimates were presented as organizers’ figures and as estimates; speakers repeatedly noted attendance and spending numbers were estimates rather than finalized counts.
The request matters, the representative said, because festival attendees spend money across the city and the event helps local food and craft vendors. “Approximately … 70 to $80 per person that comes [is] spent … in the city of Vienna,” Speaker 4, a meeting participant, said, adding that vendors “see huge upticks in sales because they have that option to come to our festival.” Speaker 1, another participant, described the per‑person figure as “$60 a person” and noted that the number of attendees is an estimate.
Speakers discussed the economic impact figures cited by organizers. One participant asked about a wide numeric range mentioned for economic impact — “the 600,000 to 9,001,200,000,000.0” — and asked for clarification about what that range means for the city of Vienna (Speaker 3). Organizers characterized the per‑person spending as including dining and other purchases around the festival but did not provide a single, reconciled total economic‑impact number during the discussion.
Participants also raised scheduling concerns with nearby Parkersburg’s event calendar. Speaker 3 asked whether Parkersburg should avoid holding its event the same weekend as Vienna’s festival. Speaker 4 said their event is scheduled “20 seventh and '20 eighth,” which they described as “the weekend before the July 4,” and said scheduling choices affect city overtime and salary costs.
No formal vote or official action was recorded in the transcript segment provided. The discussion in the meeting centered on the funding request, estimates of attendee spending, vendor benefits, and potential calendar conflicts with a Parkersburg event.
The meeting transcript shows the financial request and economic estimates were presented as organizers’ figures and as estimates; speakers repeatedly noted attendance and spending numbers were estimates rather than finalized counts.
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