Make your voice heard: choose 2017 festival bands
When I found out the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce was going to asked the community to vote for which bands would perform at this year’s Watermelon Festival, I thought it was genius.
And clearly I’m not the only one who thought it was a good idea. Since voting launched at the beginning of the month, tens of thousands of votes have been cast for the ten bands in the running to take the mainstage this year. It’s hard to know exactly how many people have been taking the time to vote, since people can vote on multiple devices each day, but I think it’s safe to say that more than just a handful of people are making their opinion known.
To me, this was a great move by the Chamber of Commerce. Not only does it give them a clear picture of what bands people want to hear – making it easy for them to decide who to procure for the celebratory weekend – it also gives them concrete evidence to point back to when, as will inevitably happen, some dissatisfied festival-goer asks, “Why wasn’t so-and-so chosen to perform this year? Everyone loves so-and-so.”
The fact is, there are only so many slots for performers – we understand that. And you can’t please everyone – we understand that, too. And so this year, the democratic process prevails, and the people’s choice rules the day. And just as is the case in every vote or election – if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.
Fans can vote through March 31 by visiting franklincountychamber.org, hovering over the EVENTS dropdown and selecting 2017 Watermelon Festival Fan Vote! We’re giving you an update on the results each week on page 1 of the Franklin County Times, but you can also go online yourself and see who’s leading at any time.
Like most people, I love music. It was Hans Christian Anderson who said, “Where words fail, music speaks,” and Plato who commented that music “gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” Music touches us all, and this a great opportunity to make sure the music you want to hear is the music that sets the stage for the biggest festival in the county.
Have you casted any votes? Have you checked out the results? With a little over a week left for the poll, it’s still anybody’s game – or, anybody’s concert, you might say. Is your favorite group in the Top 5? If not, now is the time to rally your friends and neighbors and convince them to vote for the band YOU want to hear at this year’s festival.
Let us know what you think. Was it a good idea to let the people have a say? Have you been voting? Who do you most want to see on the mainstage this year? I’d love to hear from you.
James is managing editor for the Franklin County Times. You can reach her at alison.james@fct.wpengine.com.
