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Recession or not, Manchester prepares for Bonnaroo |
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Written by Jeff Dubbin
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Tuesday, 09 June 2009 |
 Despite the recession, expect a large crowd at Bonnaroo this year. Photo by Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com.
Manchester, Tenn., the home of Bonnaroo, is expecting an average turnout this year, with big name acts like Phish and Bruce Springsteen buoying a once-likely dip in attendance. That means an estimated 80,000–85,000 attendees, on par with previous years according to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. However, they are prepared for as many as 100,000.
For a town of less than 2,000 residents, that seems a sizable burden for the community to bear. But Susan Sims, the chamber assistant executive director, said that with a strong tradition in southern hospitality, it’s no burden at all.
“No one is mad that they’re coming,” she said. “They are really good to us.”
But even if attendees won’t grow in size, they are expected to age, Sims said. Given the more middle-aged fan base Springsteen has been known to draw, the city is ready for an increase in the average age of festival-goers. Since more mature audiences may be less likely to camp and more predisposed to the comfort of a hotel room, in the chamber’s estimation, that will mean an even greater demand placed on the city’s innkeepers. Luckily, three new hotels are opening their sliding automatic doors in time for the show.
If this was a gamble based on demographic predictions, it seems to have paid off.If this was a gamble based on demographic predictions, it seems to have paid off. One hotel, the Comfort Inn, which only opened its doors in April 2009, described its availability as “100 percent booked.”
But for the last-minute comfort seekers, not to worry; more veteran hotels know to keep a corner reserved. The Holiday Inn Express, a hotel that has been in business for every Bonnaroo, said that it is committed to maintaining five percent availability until the start of the festival. There is no worry about these beds lying fallow. Like at least one other famous farm event, there is a pervasive feeling of “if you build it, they will come.”
Jeff Dubbin is a TheSequitur.com senior editor.
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