Another glorious Sunshine Coast weekend is history and another two successful festivals are fait accompli.
What, we wonder, would the Coast be like without these festivals? Well we'd probably be like many other small communities in Canada scratching for dollars and entertainment in this tight economy. But fortunately for all of us, the dreams of a few have translated into a healthy living for many. Just ask any bed and breakfast operator what kind of summer they've had. We're willing to bet it's been a corker.
From June and the Gibsons Jazz Festival on there have been events almost every weekend designed to bring tourists to our communities. And although the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival is still a conception perhaps it's time to analyze some of the most successful and see what they have in common.
First what we see in the best festivals are people with passion. Whether it's a love of music, the arts, books, fibre or red-hot cars there are champions working their tails off to bring their love to the rest of us.
The second thing we see in the cream of the crop is good management. Sometimes it's a paid planner or producer led by a non-profit board. Sometimes it's a municipal government that's hired the co-ordinators and given them the freedom to grow the festival in a way fitting to both the audience and the discipline. And sometimes it's an all-round effort by a group of unpaid zealots. What all of these have in common are planning and execution. Nothing is left to chance and in most instances the planners have learned from their past mistakes and not repeated them.
And perhaps the most underrated part of many ongoing festivals is the dearth of folks jumping up to lay claim to the success of the events. The hardest thing for most of us to lay aside is our ego. In the most enduring of the festivals you'll find no "I" and a lot of "we". You'll just find people who love working together.
Lastly the key element in any local event is local people. It's easy with such an embarrassment of riches to take our community and its entertainment for granted. Such should never be the case. Let's keep working together. In the meantime remember to thank those who put their lives on hold to bring your passion to life. After all, what's most important is festivals are fun!
