When Cheryl Crowder, director of special events for Muncie Downtown Development, reluctantly walked into her office Wednesday morning, she was relieved to see her e-mail box full of positive, encouraging messages from Muncie residents.
The final numbers were released Tuesday for Muncie Gras 2007. Despite a reported loss of $9,842 from Muncie Gras 2007, Crowder is continuing to plan Downtown Development's next event, the St. Patrick's Day parade.
In the past six years, an average of 9,000 to 11,000 people attended Muncie Gras, which is held the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. But, this year, only 2,000 people came to the event, which is usually the biggest annual event for the not-for-profit organization.
"I think the weather certainly had something to do with it," Crowder said. "It snowed all day on Saturday. You know that didn't help."
Along with the weather, Crowder said other events happening at the same time, such as Larry the Cable Guy's performance at Emens Auditorium, also might have affected turnout. But, Crowder said, weather was probably the major deterent.
Every Downtown Development event depends on the weather because there are no indoor venues in downtown Muncie, she said.
"There's no way to make sure this doesn't happen again," Crowder said.
Downtown Development spent about $42,000 on Muncie Gras 2007, about $28,000 less than it originally had budgeted.
Vendors also felt the effects of lower attendance. Matt Craw, manager of 909 Grille, said the restaurant lost money during Muncie Gras this year, but he would not disclose the amount.
"We didn't sell very much at all," he said. "And we even had a band and everything else in our tent."
The 909 Grille has had a tent at Muncie Gras for several years. Craw worked in the restaurant's tent at the event this year.
"It was miserable, and we even had a heater blowing on us," he said.
Craw said he hoped the low turnout would not ruin the annual event for the 909 Grille.
"It's always been a good deal," he said. "I just wish we could've kept the tradition going."
Muncie Gras 2007 was the second major event that lost money for Downtown Development in the past year. End of Summer Jam 2006, which featured .38 Special and Cheap Trick, lost $47,500 for the organization. Only 2,600 people of the 4,500 expected went to the concert in September. Despite the losses, Downtown Development is not in debt and can still continue planning events, Crowder said.
Crowder started planning for Muncie Gras 2007 the day after the 2006 event. She has not yet started planning for next year's event.
"There are a lot of people that need to have input of what happens," Crowder said. "I don't feel like any of us feel like we need to stop it. We just need to look at how we're doing it."
Mary Gaston, assistant general manager of Muncie Indiana Transit System, said three trolleys provided 1,246 total rides for Muncie Gras this year, but some people took multiple rides. In 2006, more than 4,000 people rode the trolleys that shuttled people from Ball State University to downtown, she said.
"It's always been a really successful event for us," Gaston said. "I'm sure if they do it again, we'll participate again."
Assuming each rider rode the trolley to and from the event, Crowder guessed Ball State students and out-of-town guests staying at the hotels on McGalliard Avenue accounted for about 38 percent of the event.
Downtown Development organizes Muncie events such as RibFest, End of Summer Jam, Masquerade Madness and Holiday Lights. The organization is given $100,000 from Economic Development Income Taxes, which can go to any not-for-profit organization, Crowder said. The mayor decides how the money is distributed, she said.
"I guess I feel like we do a pretty good job of making those dollars work," Crowder said. "Basically it pays for a staff of two people and our office."
The money needed to run the events comes from sponsors and other self-generated sources of income, such as vendor fees, she said.
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