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Bonnaroo Fans Stimulate Local Economy

Festival Could Save Workers' Jobs

POSTED: 3:55 pm CDT June 11, 2009
UPDATED: 6:49 pm CDT June 11, 2009

Janice Dickson has been a Coffee County employee for more than 20 years. Thanks to Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, she and the hundreds of county employees don't have to fear losing their jobs even with the tough economy.

"We don't want to see anyone lose their job," said Dickson. "It would be bad for everybody and their family, themselves and the community as a whole."

Coffee County receives $3 for every Bonnaroo ticket sold, which is why it is banking on organizers selling all 80,000 of them, amounting to about $275,000.

Last year, the county received a quarter of a million dollars from Bonnaroo ticket sales -- money used to balance the budget and prevent a property tax increase. Mayor David Pennington said that the $225,000 collected in ticket sales last year amounts to six employees.

Overall, Bonnaroo fans stimulate the economy to the tune of $20 million in only five days: $400,000 in sales taxes for Coffee County and $500,000 countywide, which includes Manchester and Tullahoma.

"And it's not a big impact to our community," said Pennington. "Once they send that money here, they're gone."

As music lovers make their way to the festival, they can wait for hours in traffic.

"I'm a big music fan, love live music," said Tony Fletcher. "I'll have to wait whether I was on my feet or on my butt."

It's what they leave behind that has the county cashing in.

"We're the sixth-largest city in the state of Tennessee with Bonnaroo here," Pennington. "I wonder if I could count that on the census."


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