Proof that time flies: SummerFest is celebrating its fifth-year anniversary this year.
It seems just yesterday the first SummerFest opened under a cloudy and rainy sky. Now, making it to five years feels like an accomplishment, according to one of the festival’s three founders.
“This fifth year feels like a true milestone for us,” Jonathan Dixon said in a release. “What started as an idea to bring people together for a great cause has grown into something the entire community supports. This year’s lineup is the biggest and most exciting yet.”
In a phone interview, Dixon said that the event has grown into something that people around here look forward to every May.
“When we started it, like anything in its first year, you hope it takes—we hoped it would be successful and grow in popularity and attendance,” Dixon said.
He said organizers estimated—with the help of technology that pings cell phones—last year’s crowd at the peak of the night at 7,000 people. Dixon also said the core age range of the crowd is 30-50 years old.
This year the crowd will again gather at the intersection of Water and Second streets. The evening will be headlined by The Crashers and preceded on stage by acts Paralandra, Southern Sirens and Flat Stanley Jr.
The May 16 event starts at 5 p.m.
Dixon said The Crashers, a band that plays music from numerous eras—1980s, 1990s, 2000s—has a huge following.
“Once people find out they’re playing, they’ll come out to see them,” he said.
The press release said The Crashers put on a high-energy show that emphasizes audience interaction. It also said that the band has has performed across the country and shared stages with artists including Luke Bryan, Aerosmith, Kid Rock and Blake Shelton.
Meanwhile, Paralandra is a father-daughter duo that is gaining national popularity. Dixon said this band currently has a song on the Billboard charts. So, they write their own music as well as play covers, Dixon said.
Paralandra was supposed to play last year’s SummerFest but their van broke down some six hours away and they couldn’t get to the show, Dixon said.
Additionally, the night will be rounded out with Southern Sirens, a Louisville and Southern Indiana-based duo, and Flat Stanley Jr. Southern Sirens perform a mix of original music and covers across multiple genres, and Flat Stanley Jr. is an Owensboro-based rock duo that play classic hits.
Aside from the entertainment, Dixon points to the concept of the SummerFest as another reason for its success. Each year, organizers open up an application process for nonprofit organizations in the community that will receive funding from the event.
This year, organizers chose Experiencing Autism Together, a nonprofit that provides programs and resources for individuals and families affected by autism, said the release.
Last year, Dixon said the Henderson Christian Community Outreach was given about $15,000 funding from the event’s proceeds. The beneficiary the year before was Audubon Kids Zone.
The event is free for people to come down and set up their own lawn chairs. But it makes a good portion of its money on VIP tables. Dixon said there will be around 25 VIP tables that seat eight and go for $1,000 per table.
The night also features a beer garden, donations and bucket shake, Dixon said. After all that is collected and all the expenses are paid from the evening, whatever is left over goes to the chosen charity, Dixon said.
He added that eight or nine applied this year, and the charities also can set up booths at the event to get exposure and let people know what they do.
SummerFest is a brainchild of three founders—Dixon, Brian Bishop and Greg Mullins. Each fall, the group also puts on the Henderson WiffleBall Classic which is another event that raises funds for a nonprofit. The beneficiary of that event will be announced at SummerFest, Dixon said.
