Now the time to start thinking Bonnaroo
In less than three months, thousands of people will drive through Warren County on their way to the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester.
Now is the time to begin thinking of ways to get those cars, SUVs, and yes, even a few of those Volkswagen vans, to stop so tourism dollars find their way into local wallets.
Fortunately, these same thoughts have occurred to our local Chamber of Commerce officials who appear well on their way to placing Warren County stores on the map when it comes to Bonnaroo travelers.
Through its Tourism Committee, the Chamber has plans to set up a tent on the four-lane from Sparta just inside the county line. The tent would be manned around the clock, or as many hours as possible, and be one of the first things visitors see once they dip inside Warren County.
“With so many people driving through the county, we’d like to get them to stop and spend their money before they head to Manchester,” said Chamber president Lea Chrisawn.
That’s precisely the attitude to have when carloads of people ready to buy supplies for a long weekend are converging on the county. And this year’s Bonnaroo festival, officially scheduled June 11-13, is beginning to accept campers two days early, on Wednesday night, June 9. That means starting Wednesday afternoon, a steady flow of traffic will be heading down the bypass.
But there’s no reason merchants throughout the county can’t benefit because there should be enough Bonnaroo business to go around with the proper planning.
“If we do this correctly, everybody can benefit, not just the stores on the bypass” said Chrisawn. “All it takes is a little organization.”
Chamber officials plan to have the welcome tent overflowing with information and valuable coupons waiting for Bonnaroo travelers. They believe free drinks might add a nice touch too, just to show the county still knows the meaning of Southern hospitality. A few signs saying “Welcome Bonnaroo travelers” wouldn’t hurt either.
We want to invite these people into our county because they are spending money – and in some cases hundreds of dollars – at our grocery stores. From two years worth of experience, Bonnaroo patrons know it gets mighty expensive inside the festival buying $7 hamburgers and $3 drinks. For anyone spending three or four days there, it pays to shop beforehand.
It should also be stressed that welcoming these visitors into our county doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to drug use and illegal activity. It also doesn’t mean intentionally targeting vehicles headed for Bonnaroo for traffic stops.
The visitors who will soon be at our doorstep deserve treatment just like any other tourists. We are thankful for any money they might spend in our county and encourage them to return.
With a touch of planning, merchants throughout the county can benefit from the surge in traffic Bonnaroo promises to supply in June. Our Chamber of Commerce appears on the right track to helping retailers capitalize on this once-a-year opportunity.