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Couldn't find a thread about news articles, found a very positive article about what Roo does for the folks in Cof County. I thought it was cool how we're looking forward to going, and they are looking forward to us arriving!
Roonies ring up sales Manchester music festival nets $22M economic impact By ERIN EDGEMON edgemon@dnj.com —Erin Edgemon, 278-5161
A music and arts festival that has become a cultural phenomenon has put Coffee County on the map.
But, in fact, the festival that brings a fusion of musical styles and food and originality to the rural patch of land about 30 miles southeast of Murfreesboro means much more than that to local governments, businesses and charities.
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is a windfall for Manchester/Coffee County and the rest of the counties in Middle Tennessee to the tune of around $22 million, according to a study conducted by the Business and Economic Research Center at MTSU.
The business revenue impact of Bonnaroo is estimated at more than $14 million in Coffee County alone, according to the study commissioned by festival organizers Axis Ventures LLC in Knoxville. The study was conducted based on information supplied by the festival organizer and from surveys filled out by 1,086 attendees of the 2005 Bonnaroo during all three days of the festival, where they answered questions related to their spending, travel to Coffee County and overall impressions of the event.
The fifth annual Bonnaroo Music Festival starts June 16 and runs through June 18. Local businesses and organizations began preparing several weeks ago for the event expected to attract more than 75,000 ticket holders.
Festival attendees spent $8.6 million in Coffee County and $7 million in other Middle Tennessee counties, mostly on groceries and gasoline.
Bordering Coffee County along Interstate 24, Rutherford County receives much of Bonnaroo's ripple effect.
"We definitely would be one of those counties that was highly impacted," said Mona Herring, director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. "We do see some Bonnaroo guests here in our hotels, our gas stations and our retail stores. They will come to our stores to buy supplies."
Tim Fox, manager of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Old Fort Parkway, said Bonnaroo attendees, commonly referred to as Roonies and usually easily identified by their tie-dyed clothing and hair in dreadlocks, patronize his store in the days leading up to the festival, typically buying water and, depending on the weather, sunblock or boots, tarps and other supplies to fend off rain.
Love's Truck Stop in Christiana near the Buchanan Road exit off I-24 sold out of ice last year due to Bonnaroo. This year, assistant manager Marci Pope, said they are bringing in an extra ice cooler to meet the demand.
"Last year, I mean we got slammed," she said.
Coffee County Mayor Ray Johnson said he doesn't think Bonnaroo generates as many dollars for the Manchester and Coffee County as the study states, but it would be a great loss the county if the festival were to leave. The festival helps keep property taxes low, and the county and local police departments are reimbursed for any overtime incurred.
"We are proud to have it," he said. "I would hate for them to leave Coffee County. We do have a sales tax increase when they are there.
"I think we have been realizing between $200,000 to $250,000 from the sales tax from the vendors out there" in the festival grounds, Johnson added.
Based on low-end estimates, Coffee County governments received around $412,796 in local option sales taxes from local shopping, hotel/motel taxes and other contributions made by festival organizers.
According to the study, 191 new jobs, most of them likely temporary, were created due to Bonnaroo.
Festival organizers spent nearly $2 million in Coffee County for preparations and site operations on the 700-acre Manchester farm and lodging and food for artist and support staff. An additional $260,500 was paid to Coffee County government and $20,000 donated to local charities.
Murat Arik, associate director of the Business and Economic Research Center at MTSU and lead investigator on the study, said Coffee County has seen a significant increase in sales-tax receipts during the years of the festival compared to the state as a whole. The jump, however, can't be directly linked to Bonnaroo.
According to the MTSU study, state sales tax collected in Coffee County increased by 59.38 percent from June 2001 to June 2005 while collections in the state as a whole increased by 32.51 for the same years. Local sales tax collected in Coffee County increased by 40.63 percent from June 2001 to June 2005 while collections in the state as a whole increased by 16.40 percent for the same years.
Tim Fox, manager of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Old Fort Parkway, said Bonnaroo attendees, commonly referred to as Roonies and usually easily identified by their tie-dyed clothing and hair in dreadlocks,
while I am glad the article was a good article - I was very amused by this because I apparently am not the stereotypical "Roonie".
No dreadlocks for me and I think I own one tiedyed shirt and it is from Bonnaroo last year
