Biggest Bayfest ever is talk of the town
Sarnia Observer, Canada
July 23, 2007
A little bit of country and a lot of rock proved the perfect ingredients for a massively successful Bayfest this year.
A solid 70,000 people packed Centennial Park over a four-day period for the ninth annual music festival, featuring headliners Nickelback, Aerosmith, Toby Keith and Def Leppard.
"It was definitely the biggest we knew that going into it," said organizer Michele Stokley, who's already been bombarded with feedback from fans.
"All people are talking about is how well everything went," she said.
"People who have seen these bands at other shows have said that this one really stood out."
And fans aren't the only ones impressed with Sarnia Bayfest.
Stokley said the band members were very receptive to the venue, especially Steven Tyler.
Aerosmith's frontman was enjoying the crowd so much that he threw two extra songs into the Thursday night set.
"His assistant called me the next day and said he really felt welcomed here," Stokley said.
The rock star even called in to a Sarnia radio station on his way to the airport for a 20-minute impromptu on-air chat.
From a safety standpoint, things went smoothly other than a few arrests for public intoxication, said Staff Sgt. Dave McCabe of the Sarnia Police Service.
"The vast majority of the crowd was well behaved," he said. "Other than a few people acting out."
Cleanup and tear-down has already begun, with two transport trucks on hand to pack away the new $300,000 stage. That alone is expected to take two days.
In the meantime, Stokley is focusing on post-Bayfest debriefings and getting fan feedback, before the planning begins all over again.
"Next year will be our 10th anniversary," she said. "So we've got to try and top this one."
July 23, 2007
A little bit of country and a lot of rock proved the perfect ingredients for a massively successful Bayfest this year.
A solid 70,000 people packed Centennial Park over a four-day period for the ninth annual music festival, featuring headliners Nickelback, Aerosmith, Toby Keith and Def Leppard.
"It was definitely the biggest we knew that going into it," said organizer Michele Stokley, who's already been bombarded with feedback from fans.
"All people are talking about is how well everything went," she said.
"People who have seen these bands at other shows have said that this one really stood out."
And fans aren't the only ones impressed with Sarnia Bayfest.
Stokley said the band members were very receptive to the venue, especially Steven Tyler.
Aerosmith's frontman was enjoying the crowd so much that he threw two extra songs into the Thursday night set.
"His assistant called me the next day and said he really felt welcomed here," Stokley said.
The rock star even called in to a Sarnia radio station on his way to the airport for a 20-minute impromptu on-air chat.
From a safety standpoint, things went smoothly other than a few arrests for public intoxication, said Staff Sgt. Dave McCabe of the Sarnia Police Service.
"The vast majority of the crowd was well behaved," he said. "Other than a few people acting out."
Cleanup and tear-down has already begun, with two transport trucks on hand to pack away the new $300,000 stage. That alone is expected to take two days.
In the meantime, Stokley is focusing on post-Bayfest debriefings and getting fan feedback, before the planning begins all over again.
"Next year will be our 10th anniversary," she said. "So we've got to try and top this one."
| Permalink | E-mail this post 
