After five years of 15-day seasons, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s Top of the Park will return to a 21-day season next year.
Summer Festival Executive Director Mike Michelon says the festival has reduced costs over time, so that a 15-day and 21-day festival season cost about the same. He says the festival has invested in purchasing more of its own equipment to reduce rental costs.
“Once we get the festival mounted, having the ability to go that extra week is possible because, you know, another week of events, people are donating on site, buying beverages, enjoying themselves. And so the math kind of works out at that point.”
However, Michelon says an extra $150,000 has been needed to produce the festival annually since the COVID-19 pandemic. That's due to cost increases across the board, including what Michelon describes as a "needed" market correction for artists' fees. He says more philanthropic support will be needed to ensure the festival’s sustainability.
Michelon says the longer season will bring more of the programming attendees have come to expect from Top of the Park. He says there’s been considerable public demand for a return to the longer festival format.
“It's the number one thing that we hear from people all year round: ‘When are you coming back? We want more. We miss it.’ The schedule is challenging with the way people's summers are, so to be able to come back and deliver that for people is really exciting.”
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