With both on the same Saturday, neither gets the full attention of Athens they deserve.
There’s a lot to like about springtime in Athens.
The trees and flowers of Stroud's Run State Park are in full bloom. Seniors — and , yes, fifth-years — clamor at uptown bars as graduation nears. And, of course, party-goers seldom go thirsty on any weekend.
But there’s still one thing we’d love to change. There’s no good reason to hold Ohio University’s International Street Fair the same day as Number Fest.
It appears 2016 will be the second straight year the two festivals, which we both enjoy, fall on the same Saturday in April.
Although we understand some might say holding two the same weekend might be good for attendance, there’s not a lot more about the move that makes sense.
Number Fest is good for Athens. It brings in hundreds, if not thousands, of out-of-towners to Southeast Ohio.
But that obviously comes at a cost, specifically the drunken behavior throughout the town starting early in the morning.
Anyone who’s tried to drive that Saturday knows it’s nearly impossible to navigate through Uptown or the west side with all the pickup trucks packed with students.
That threatens the equally-important atmosphere on Court Street for the International Street Fair. The international festival presents a rare chance for those in Athens to experience traditions from all over the world.
Event planners should do what they can to ensure that festival isn’t impeded in any way. It’s not a matter of valuing one event over the other, but planners should recognize the two have wildly different audiences and wildly different atmospheres that deserve proper attention. With both on the same Saturday, we don’t think that can happen.
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