Collective exhale

Their task complete, Festival of States organizers assess the 81st event, which showed signs of renewed viability.

By DONNA WINCHESTER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 17, 2002

[Times photo: Dirk Shadd] Autre Howard Morgan of John Hopkins Middle School plays a solo on her alto sax with the middle school jazz band during the Strike Up the Band field show at Florida Power Park last week. Almost 2,000 tickets were sold for the reconfigured event.

ST. PETERSBURG -- An uncharacteristic peacefulness reigned at the Festival of States office Monday morning. The phones were silent, the fax machine was mute. The army of volunteers that had camped out for months had departed.

Executive director Lane Hosmer and marketing director Sandy Lee showed up for work as usual. But instead of dealing with the crush of details connected to producing a civic celebration for 250,000 people, they caught their breath.

The 81st annual Festival of States is over. Now, festival staff and volunteers are investigating what went well and what could have been done better during the event, held this year from April 2 through April 14.

They also will attempt to answer some tough questions: How can they satisfy people who look back nostalgically at past festivals and appeal to a younger crowd at the same time? Now that it is no longer feasible to import out-of-state bands, what will be the festival's drawing card? How much longer can the festival survive if it continues to lose money, as it did in 2000 and 2001?

[Times photo: Lara Cerri] Blair Lankford, an Egyptian temple Shriner, hams it up in his belly dancing outfit at the 81st Festival of States parade Saturday in downtown St. Petersburg. The Shriners raise money to help children who have medical needs. Frank Pelusio, left, plays the bass drum.

Only one thing was certain Monday. There will be an 82nd annual Festival of States, and it will be held April 3-14, 2003. The details will be settled during the next few months as the Suncoasters, the 250-member volunteer organization that produces the event, assess where the festival is headed.

Some things are already evident. The revamped black-tie coronation ball that began the festival was a critical and financial success. The addition of a catered dinner apparently offset the $100 ticket price and drew a sellout crowd to the Palladium Theater to witness the crowning of a new Mr. Sun and Sungoddess.

[Times photo: Bill Serne] Chase Paff of Lutz listens to music at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival at Vinoy Park on April 6, during the first weekend of the Festival of States.

For the first time in its history, the ball paid for itself, Hosmer said, which means the festival can begin refilling the coffers of its flagging youth education fund. A decline in festival attendance in recent years, and a subsequent reduction in revenue, has jeopardized the nonprofit organization's efforts to provide minority scholarships.

With an apparent increase in attendance at the SouthTrust Illuminated Night Parade, Suncoasters president Mark Mahaffey called it a success.

Hosmer said the decision to turn the details of this year's MusicFest, the festival's annual showcase of the musical talents of Pinellas County schoolchildren, over to the district music supervisor's office seemed to work well. The festival attracted a sponsor, Wachovia Bank, which put up $10,000 for the event. The music department under the direction of supervisor Jeanne Reynolds maintained artistic control of the two-hour concert at the Mahaffey Theater, featuring middle and high school honor bands and a middle school jazz band.

The most pleasant surprise of this year's festival appears to be the Strike Up the Band field show held at Florida Power Park. Originally scheduled as a roundup of "old-timer" bands similar to St. Petersburg's Second Time Arounders, a 450-member group of former high school and college band musicians, organizers switched to Plan B when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks nixed travel plans of the nine bands scheduled to perform. Rounders director and co-founder Bill Findeison scrambled to find replacement bands and put together a lineup that included the U.S. Naval Academy Band, the Florida Divisional Band of the Salvation Army and the St. Petersburg College Band.

[Times photo: Lara Cerri] McMullen-Booth Elementary students Maegan Hackett, 10, left, Janet Mara, 10, and Amanda McKeever, 9, find their parents in the stands before performing in the Music is Ageless group as part of Strike Up the Band. Students from 19 elementary schools took part.

Joining them were bands from Riviera Middle School, Boca Ciega High, St. Petersburg High and Music Is Ageless, a music education group featuring students from 19 public and private elementary schools.

The field show, traditionally a venue for out-of-state marching bands, has been in transition for the past few years and was not held last year. Hosmer was heartened by the turnout at this year's event, which marked the Rounders' 20th year as a headliner with the festival. The sale of nearly 2,000 tickets at $10 for adults and $5 for children, Hosmer said, signals public approval and shows that the event is financially viable.

It also indicates that a field show can be successful without out-of-state bands, Findeison said, adding that this year's show offered something for everyone.

[Times photo: Lara Cerri] Caitlin Parry of St. Petersburg Catholic High School, left, Jordan Smith of Seminole High and Megan McKenna of Largo High wish each other luck as Junior Sungoddess candidates before the ceremony at the Palladium Theater on April 2. Jordan won the honor.

Lee and Hosmer will be crunching numbers over the next several weeks to determine not only what they would like to do next year, but what they can afford to do.

Already under consideration, Hosmer said, is lengthening the parade route to include more of downtown St. Petersburg.

The festival's goal -- showcasing the city of St. Petersburg and the talents of its citizens while raising money to support youth education programs -- will be at the heart of all decisions, Lee said.

FESTIVAL OF STATES WINNERS

Mr. Sun: Gene Oliver

Sungoddess: Ashley Dickhaus

Sungoddess Court: Lisa Benson, Katherine Betzer, Natalie Chandlee, Jessica Gilkes, Kimberly Greene, Erin Hendry, Leah Justice, Ashleigh Lutz, Jennifer Ott, Yvonne Pierpont, Brooke Smith, Shavon Starling and Katie Wilson.

Junior Sungoddess: Jordan Smith

Junior Sungoddess Court: Laura Reynolds, Jessica Moore, Megan Weller, Brittany Shook, Alicia Billington, Tiffany Chuk, Odessa Woodall, Caitlin Parry, Lacy Maguire, Stegin O'Neill, Torrie Tiernan, Megan McKenna, Stacy Thornhill, Carlita Harris, Katherine Rees, Charee Howard, Britney Scott and Kristen Brett.

KidsArt Winning Schools

$100 award

dePaul School

Eisenhower Elementary School

Gulfport Elementary School

McMullen-Booth Elementary School

Pinellas Central Elementary School

Rio Vista Elementary School

South Ward Elementary School

Tyrone Elementary School

Walsingham Elementary School

Westgate Elementary School

Sidewalk Chalk Art Competition Awards

First place: Leo Meirose, St. Petersburg Catholic High School

Second place: Danielle LaMore, John Hopkins Middle School

Third place: Frances Brabant, Canterbury Middle School

2002 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Exhibition

American Vision Nominees-Art

Dani Mazo, John Hopkins Middle School

Gelaina Poth, Pinellas Park High School

Laura Arnold, Pinellas Park High School

Benaiah Edwards, Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School

Marina Weber, St. Petersburg High School

American Voice Nominees-Writing

Lindsey Brooks, Bay Point Middle School

Salome Blignant, Countryside High School

Grant Johnson, East Lake High School

Whitney Calametti, Gibbs High School

Harvey's Festival Run 5K

Male Age Group: Overall

First place: Mickey Hooke, Bradenton

Second place: Jim Burgasser, St. Petersburg

Third place: Jeremy Meyer, Madeira Beach

Female Age Group: Overall

First place: Carol Glasscock, St. Pete Beach

Second place: Lisa Valentine, Tierra Verde

Third place: Amy McClenathan, St. Petersburg

Male Age Group: Master

John Masterson, Plant City

Female Age Group: Master

Mary Ann Protz, St. Petersburg

Antique and Classic Car Show

Mayor's Choice: Roland Soucy

Suncoaster's President's Choice: John Franczyk

Tire Kingdom's Choice: Gary Barnes

Michelin's Choice: Steward Angel

U92's Choice: John Hudson

Dudley Trophies' Choice: Nelson Kallis

Best of Show Stock: Michael Burke

Best of Show Semi-Modified: Bob Wrona

Best of Show Modified: Maurice Raulerson

Best of Show Street Rod: Dennis Schrader

Best of Show Custom: Wayne Sparks

Best of Show Truck: Bob Helstrom

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