In terms of the numbers of people who attended this year’s Knaresborough FEVA and the amount, quality and range of activities on offer the 2012 festival was the best ever, say the organisers. What it also did was to confound predictions of a poor turnout due to the overlap with the Olympics and the wet summer.
John Minary, chairman of the FEVA organising committee told Harrogate News:
There was a degree of trepidation in the week leading up to the start of FEVA on 10 August because people seem to be staying home engrossed in the Olympics and because of so many FEVA events are held outside we wondered if crowds would be down because of bad weather.
In the event, we were wrong on both counts and audiences were bigger than ever. Several events sold out. There was wider range of activities which drew in a larger number of people from music to dance, talks, plays and walks, workshops, art shows, menu offerings and of course the street entertainers who form such an important part of what we offer.
About forty per cent of everything we put on was free and the paying events were all £12 or less with most under £8. It was cracking good value in these times of austerity for so many families.
I want to thank all those who came along, all the venues and volunteers and, particularly, my fellow committee members. These colleagues work so hard, organise things so efficiently and are an absolute joy to be with in mounting the festival.
There were days of rain but none of the main outdoor events were affected. The traditional high spot, the free Picnic in the Park, was bathed in warm sunshine on Saturday 18 August. Headline acts Silvertone, Sharp Intake and Barcode Zebra entertained the large numbers who came along.
FEVA is a non-profit festival run entirely by volunteers. Money from ticket sales is ploughed back in to pay entertainers and venue charges and to fund future years.
John Minary added:
In the future we will need to explore opportunities for support from the private sector.
We need to ask more local residents to become Friends of FEVA for £10 a year, with £50 for corporate Friends. Forms can be picked up from the Library or on www.feva.info
We don’t want to worry people unnecessarily but it is critical we develop new funding streams to maintain standards and the quantity of events in 2013.
