The 34th annual Willamette Valley Folk Festival will take place this spring, and the UO Cultural Forum has already begun to raise funds in preparation for the event.
For the past 10 years the EMU Board, which controls the Cultural Forum, has allocated $15,000 to cover the event’s expenses. The actual cost of producing last year’s festival was around $45,000.
Although that discrepancy is lessened by income from food vendors and other sources, the Cultural Forum is holding a fund-raising concert on Saturday night at the Vet’s Club at 1626 Willamette St. to help cover costs. The Latin-themed show costs $7 for University students and $10 to $12 for community members.
Folk Festival co-Coordinator Ariel Zimmer has been planning the concert for about a month and said it will be the main fund-raiser for the Folk Festival.
“Initially we wanted a fundraiser for the Folk Festival, but there was the hurdle of what to do — we looked at the calendar for the middle of November and it was already filled with such rich events,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer picked local band Azuquita, which recently performed in the EMU Amphitheater, to headline the show.
“We knew we wanted a salsa band and we were looking around locally. Azuquita fit. They were the right size band, they had a good quality, and they’ve got a great sound. I know they’re going to get the crowd excited,” Zimmer said.
Aside from Azuquita, the show will feature Jessie Marquez, José Cruz and the Salseros Dance Company and the Eugene Flamenco Ensemble with the addition of a live flamenco guitar player.
Event coordinator Laura Hindley has been helping Zimmer set up the fund-raiser.
“I think it’s going to be a great show for all types of audiences. It’s all ages, we’ve got a wide range of entertainment, from dancing, to salsa music, to a DJ — it’s a wide variety,” she said.
Cultural Forum Office Manager Mandy Chong explained that the concert wouldn’t make much money for the festival without the help of many of the show’s performers.
“The Vet’s Club has been really helpful in working with us and helping us get the best bang for our buck. Azuquita dropped their rates, and everybody else who’s performing is getting nothing more then our glowing appreciation,” Chong said.
The three-day Willamette Valley Folk Festival long has been a springtime tradition at the University. It features local, regional and national acts on five stages and draws visitors to campus from around the state and Pacific Northwest. Chong explained that most of the cost of the event goes to pay for insurance and artist bookings. She also cited the fact that almost all costs have gone up in the last 10 years due to ordinary inflation.
“We don’t really know how long we’ve had just a $15,000 budget because at some point the accounting software was switched. It may have been this way for as many as 15 years,” she said.
Zimmer has no doubts that the fund-raiser will be successful and that the Cultural Forum will be able to raise enough to hold the festival.
“In the past, we haven’t put as much emphasis on fund raising, but this year we’re really trying to raise the money to bring in better acts for the Eugene community,” she said.
Besides the funds raised by the salsa show, the Cultural Forum is looking to businesses to help cover costs.
“We have brought in donated products before, but this year we’re hoping to do something new and bring in co-sponsorship. That’s going to require working with the University’s administration and going through the bureaucracy, but it’s worth it,” Zimmer said.