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VENTURA : Music Festival Is a Downtown Success

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Organizers of the first Ventura Chamber Music Festival declared last month’s five-day concert series a resounding success that pumped about $1 million into the downtown economy and broke even on its first try.

Presenting a wrap-up of the event before the Ventura City Council on Monday night, festival organizers said that more than one-third of the 725 ticket holders came from outside Ventura County.

“There is a reason to come to downtown Ventura, and it is the Ventura Chamber Music Festival,” volunteer organizer Virginia Mendoza O’Neal told the council.

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The festival consisted of more than a dozen classical concerts at numerous venues around the city from May 17-21. Organizers said about half of the concerts sold out and the rest were 80% booked.

Downtown merchants reported sales increases of between 20% and 30% during the event, organizers said. The series cost about $70,000 to produce and promote, and the events generated about $69,000 in ticket sales, concert officials said.

Music festival organizers, who vowed to sponsor an even larger concert series next spring, estimated the festival brought in nearly $1 million in revenue for city businesses.

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“We didn’t start small, we started large and we were very successful,” Councilman Gregory L. Carson said. “This type of activity means economic development for our city.”

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