Lots of work goes into festival
I am writing in response to a letter from Kenneth Britten in the April 27 edition of the Observer-Reporter.
Although I’m sure well intentioned, the letter’s implication seems to be that there has been a lack of effort or creative thinking that has led to a downturn in funding for Washington’s Whiskey Rebellion Festival. I can assure you nothing could be further from the truth.
The festival does not have a board of directors per se, but rather is organized by myself and co-chair Tripp Kline and staffed by a group of dedicated and hardworking volunteers whose efforts continue in some way year-round and not just during the event. The organization, and Kline in particular, spend an extraordinary amount of time writing proposals, drafting sponsorship packages, letters, emails, and having face-to-face meetings in an attempt to fund this event and keep it viable.
The festival has been the grateful beneficiary of grants through the Washington County Board of Tourism and Promotion, as well as from private corporations. However, those funds are driven by economic conditions that ebb and flow. That these funds have been diminished in recent times is understandable.
The Whiskey Rebellion Festival is a celebration of our region’s unique place in American history and, as a by-product, a driver of economic development and tourism in Washington County. It should be supported by the community it celebrates and that benefits from it.
Joe Manning
Washington
Manning is the co-chairman of the Whiskey Rebellion Festival and is a Washington city councilman.