Summer in the Park is finally here, as North Bay gets ready for its annual festival to get underway today. However, a severe thunder storm warning is in effect for the area and festival goers will have to monitor the weather as the day moves along. The main concert stage behind the city bus terminal on Oak Street was set up yesterday, and city crews prepared the area behind the Discovery North Bay Museum for food vendors, two stages for free entertainment and more.
The city will provide the festival with $80,000 a year during a three-year deal to help offset costs. This is the second year of the deal, and STIP committee spokesman Charles Elliott says it’s an investment in the city. They want to bring people into the city, have hotels and restaurants full and feel a buzz in the city. The event’s total budget is somewhere between $400,000 and $500,000, and organizers have to sell 5,000 to 6,000 wristbands just to break even.
As of right now, the committee is about 1,500 to 2,000 wristbands shy of that target. Wristbands for the festival are still available online, and at various spots around the city. Anyone waiting to purchase a wristband at the gate will have to pony up a bit more, as the price goes up to $50. The big names for the festival include Magic! opening up for headliner Marianas Trench on Friday, and the Headstones getting the crowd going ahead of Amanda Marshall’s performance on Saturday.
