Post by Walker, Texas Ranger on May 8, 2009 7:18:35 GMT -5
“Nightfall feels like a part of the fabric of the nightlife of downtown Chattanooga. With it being such a longstanding tradition, we weren’t willing to let the current economy change it in any way. People will be hungry for good free live entertainment,” says Carla Pritchard, Executive Director of Chattanooga Downtown Partnership.
Since 1988, the free Friday-night summer concert series known as Nightfall has been taking place at Miller Plaza in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. With its 21st season rapidly approaching, rumors were beginning to fly that the event would not take place as usual due to the struggling economy. Nightfall is presented by the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership, a division of the RiverCity Company, and sponsored by local businesses; as it turns out, Chattanooga Downtown Partnership (CDP) was seriously considering cancelling the event.
“This was a tough year and a tough one to figure out, knowing what we’re up against with sponsorships being dropped or reduced,” says Pritchard. “Especially when compared to last year—the 20th anniversary was a wonderful celebration, with great bands, great sponsorship, and great crowds. We felt the change at the beginning of the calendar year, so we did think long and hard about what our position would and could be.”
She explains, “Since we wouldn’t use last year as our goal (being an anniversary and considering the current economy), we looked back over the past five years and tried to figure out how we could position ourselves so as to not to be too much at risk. We had to decide before we knew; in the end, we basically went on a gut feeling based on how other CDP-sponsored events were going.
chattanoogapulse.com/cover-story/cover-story-the-future-of-nightfall/