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Music festival is collaborative effort: Sponsorships, T-shirts help fund Music on Mississippi
NEW MADRID, Mo. — There is more to a music festival than music.
Organizers of the upcoming Music on the Mississippi are busy working on details ranging from media outreach and fundraising to the logistics of parking to ensure the event’s success.
Planning for the Aug. 31 music festival and food truck rally began late last spring, when three New Madrid city officials, City Administrator Aaron Griffin, Mayor Nick White and Police Chief Joey Higgerson, were considering ideas to better utilize the town’s riverfront.
“Everybody from the Corps of Engineers to tourists tell us we have the best outlook on the river,” said White. “We knew we needed to do something with it.”
After developing the idea for a music festival, the three began researching costs and logistics.
With backing from the City Council, they also reached out to others to help ensure the event’s success. In particular, White said, they wanted to find people with the organizational skills they would need, were supporters of music and would be willing to help.
Joining White, Griffin and Higgerson on the Music on the Mississippi Committee are Anthony Roberts, Brandon Hannor, Chris Stinnett, Clint Klipfel, Erin Tanner, Jamie Higgerson, Jimmy Henderson, Liz Riley, Malinda Grunwald, Paige Keene, Sara Ezell, Ryan Smith and Terry Blankenship.
TSE Entertainment, an entertainment broker from Texas, helped organizers find the headlining act, the Marshall Tucker Band.
But with a nationally known band, there are costs. To offset those costs, the Committee sought sponsors for Music on the Mississippi.
A Mississippi River Sponsor, who donates $3,000, receives observation deck VIP seating for four or preferred in-front-of-stage seating along with food and drinks. Their names will be included on event signage and the event’s T-shirts.
A Riverbend Sponsor is an individual or business that donates $1,500. They receive preferred in-front-of-stage seating for four along with food and non-alcoholic drink vouchers as well as recognition on digital signage and through social media.
Donating $500, an individual or company is a Faultline Sponsor and receives digital sponsorship and social media recognition.
Those donating $100 are Driftwood Sponsors and receive social media recognition.
“It was a gamble at first,” said White. “But everyone I talked with was so enthusiastic I sold five of the Mississippi River Sponsorships within 20 minutes.”
Due to the seating, the Mississippi River Sponsorships were limited to 15 and have all been sold. However, the committee continues to add names to the other three levels of sponsorship.
Anyone wishing to sponsor the event can contact a committee member or send their check to City of New Madrid, in care of Music on the Mississippi, P.O. Box 96, New Madrid, MO, 63869.
According to White any surplus funds at the end of this year’s event will go toward funding the 2025 Music on the Mississippi.
They have found other partners as well. JuJu Promotions designed T-shirts for Music on the Mississippi.
The shirts will sell for $25 at the festival. Those who preorder their shirts by Aug. 9 can purchase a shirt for $20 by check or cash at JuJu Promotions, 420 U.S. Highway 61 in New Madrid or through PayPal: bjaycock2003@att.net or Cashapp: $JuJuPromotions.
Much of the logistics of security and traffic control fell to Higgerson.
“Obviously with this being the first time, there are things we don’t know, for example what size of crowd we will have,” Higgerson said.
Higgerson said he has spoken with Sikeston Director of Public Safety Jim McMillen and other members of Sikeston DPS on how they handle the annual rodeo. In particular how they handle vehicle traffic, foot traffic and security.
“We are trying to hammer out our plans. The city is going to put together some maps showing dedicated routes to get people to parking. There will be shuttle buses from some of the parking areas. We will be getting that information out over the next few weeks,” the police chief said.
Also he has met with New Madrid County police and fire chiefs, New Madrid County Sheriff Ronnie Adams and others who will assist with security throughout the event.
“We want this to be a family-friendly event,” Higgerson said. “We want it to be safe, for everyone to have a really good time and for it to continue on into the future.”