American Folk Fest Tightens Belt

Organizers of the American Folk Festival in Bangor, Maine, are cutting the fest’s operating budget by $140,000 but still plan to keep admission free to concertgoers.

Festival execs said Jan. 26 the number of stages at the event will be reduced from six to four but the quality of artists on the bill will remain. Those acts will be asked to play longer sets, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Other changes for the event, scheduled Aug. 27-29, include bringing in more vendors onsite, purchasing bad-weather insurance, direct contracting for technical services and starting a sustaining-member program to boost individual financial support.

The more-balanced budget reportedly also includes funds to begin paying back $280,000 in debt to the city that has accrued over the event’s five-year existence, the paper said.

Festival reps were scheduled to present the new budget to the city council Feb. 1.