A VIBRANT FUTURE In an effort to help more businesses
Ben Lomand Connect
Photo courtesy of Brian Hensley Photography.
important, such as the addition of public water to the site and the construction of permanent restrooms and showers. The Manchester Coffee County Conference Center is near the Bonnaroo site and plays a significant role, French says. The festival brings thousands of people into town who are not aware of the facilities such as the conference center and many nearby hotels. The conference center is also used during Bonnaroo for workers and meetings and is an asset for much of the work that goes on behind the scenes, French says. David Pennington, Coffee County mayor from 2006 to 2014, has been involved with Bonnaroo from the beginning and loves the idea of the festival and what it means for the area. “It’s an industry, and industry brings in jobs,” Pennington says. He adds that Bonnaroo has a big economic impact, with workers in town at least a month before and a month after, not to mention the nearly 100,000 visitors that come into town for the festival. From the beginning, elected officials, volunteers and community leaders wanted to make sure Bonnaroo was a success. “We knew that if Bonnaroo did well, our community would do well,” he says. “This partnership is one of the better things that has happened to Manchester, Coffee County and the state of Tennessee.” With large crowds almost from the beginning, the festival affected traffic in Manchester, says Ryan French, operations manager for Rooster 101.5 and 93.9 The Duck. He also is vice mayor in Manchester. “In the beginning traffic was a nightmare,” he says. “Now the traffic plan has become so precise.” French says an economic impact of $52 million might seem high to some, but he believes it is accurate. Sales tax alone brought in $800,000 last year in about five days, he says.
capitalize on visitors, there are plans to bring back the Music Tree Festival the week before Bonnaroo. That small festival, successful for three years, was not on last year’s schedule. The streets will be blocked off in downtown, and an array of bands will perform in conjunction with a barbecue contest sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. It will be similar to the Jack Daniels World Championship held each October in Lynchburg. “This will give those coming into town early for Bonnaroo an opportunity to go out and do something fun and enjoy our town,” French says. Bonnaroo is about more than a fourday festival, says Taylor Rayfield, a member of the Manchester Tourism and Community Development Commission. “The event may only be four days a year, but these folks are members of our community,” Rayfield says of the Bonnaroo owners. “They are committed to being a part of the community in every facet. We look forward to seeing where the future lies and the impact this event will continue to have on our community.”
What you might not know about Bonnaroo
For four days each year, Manchester becomes the seventh-largest city in Tennessee thanks to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Plenty of folks know about the crowds and A-list artists. But the event has grown into a happening with its own history and culture. Did you know the word “bonnaroo” is Creole slang for “good stuff?” And that’s just the beginning: zzThe festival attracts visitors from all 50 states and from around the world. About 85 percent of the visitors arrive from outside Tennessee. zzBonnaroo started on a 500-acre farm in Manchester in 2002. zzIn 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the festival as one of the “50 Moments That Changed Rock and Roll.” zzThe event is now on 700 acres purchased by the Bonnaroo owners in 2007. The area is now called Great Stage Park. zzAn average of 100,000 visitors are in the area for the festival. A large number of workers are in town in the weeks leading up to and after Bonnaroo. zzSome of the biggest names in entertainment have been at Bonnaroo through the years, including Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Lionel Richie, Widespread Panic and Dave Matthews.
Rockin’ Bonnaroo
Irish rockers U2 will feature the 30-year anniversary of their “Joshua Tree” album as they headline Bonnaroo. A long list of entertainers from all genres, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, will be featured over the four days on multiple stages. June 8-11 at Great Stage Park in Manchester, just off Interstate 24. More information about Bonnaroo and a complete list of the distribution of Bonnaroo Works funds can be viewed at bonnaroo.com.
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