The two new events come as the town’s annual spring craft show has steadily been losing money for the past six years. It’s one of two craft shows (spring and fall) that the town relies on to bring in tourists, and cash to town coffers to pay for capital projects.
From its high of about $54,000 in 2013, net revenue form the spring craft fair has dropped this year to $50,214. It was the final spring craft show for the town.
Town officials hope that a new River Fest to be held about the same time of year, on June 6 and 7, 2020, will draw a new crowd, and bring in $50,765 in net revenue from things like sponsorships, booth rentals, shuttle fees, and merchandise sales, according to town documents.
River Fest will feature a beer garden and shrimp boil, and a climbing wall. Streets in the tiny town will be closed to traffic to accommodate vendors and the crowds, as they are during the craft shows.
Sprits & Spirits, the Halloween-themed event will also feature beer and wine. A family-friendly portion of the event will feature a costume parade, haunted maze, and magic show.
The event is scheduled to coincide with “Haunt the Town,” an annual event that draws shoppers into the town’s mom-and-pop shops. It’s planned for Oct. 26, 2020.
The Spirits & Spirits event has a $2,325 net revenue goal. A committee formed nearly a year ago, tasked with finding ways to revamp the annual spring craft show.
Update
In a Sept. 3, 2019 email, Occoquan Town Manager Kathleen Leidich says the revenue goal for River Fest is $56,265. Leidich said this new information was posted to the town’s website on Sept. 3.
We used the most recent information posted to the town’s website, as of Sept. 1, to write our original post.
