Crossroads Festival looking to draw bigger crowd

By Christine Laughren
Mar. 24, 2009    ·    12:01 a.m.

The organizers of Ypsilanti’s summer Crossroads Festival series are asking the Downtown Development Authority for more money this year in an effort to draw bigger bands and crowds to the event.

Dave Curtis, general director of the festival and owner of Pub 13, Club Divine and the new J Neil’s Mongolian Grille, gave the DDA a heads up at its last regular meeting March 19. He said organizers would need about $14,000 from the DDA this year to keep the festival going and draw more crowds.

“We would like to bring bands that could actually draw 1,000 people to this event,” Curtis said.

The festival is scheduled to run every Friday evening from June 5 to Aug. 28 on Washington Street between Pearl Street and Michigan Avenue. In total, Curtis said the event would cost between $16,000 and $18,000 to run.

Two Saturday events, one to benefit the Friends of the Rutherford Pool and the second in conjunction with the Heritage Festival, are also scheduled for the summer series.

According to Curtis, numbers for last year’s Friday festival events ranged from 350 to 1,200 people. He said in order to have a higher turnout this year he would like to have higher-profile bands, which means more money designated to draw bands to the event.

The DDA has not approved any money for the festival yet. Curtis said after the meeting he just wanted to give members a “heads-up.” The DDA is expected to vote on funding at an upcoming meeting.

Other activities planned for this year’s Crossroads Festival include scavenger hunts, a 5K race, a Heritage Festival Bed race and a Miss Ypsilanti Scholarship event.

For more information about the Crossroads Festival click here.

In other DDA News:
The Downtown Development Authority has approximately $70,000 of remaining Streetscape Bond Funds it needs to spend by June 30.

DDA Director Brian Vosburg said the money essentially comes from being under budget with streetscape and dumpster projects at the South Huron, North Huron and North Adams lots.

Potential projects could include patching and restriping of the North Adams lot, installing locks and pedestrian gates of the dumpsters adding security cameras and improving signage.

Vosburg said he would return at the next meeting with a list of items for the board’s perusal.

DDA to give annual report
The organization is slated to give its annual report at its next regular meeting April 16. The DDA is expected to discuss ongoing projects and partnerships as well as new projects started in 2008.