Traverse City Film Festival

The Traverse City Film Festival  in Traverse City, Michigan is a successful festival with many positive impacts on Traverse City, according to Steve Heap, Secretary of the Association of Festival Organizers. Heap says the festival is advertised for all year and brings in many tourists that fills up many local businesses. For example, at Panera Bread ,the restaurant had more than 680 transactions on July 29, 2016 during the TCFF, according to manager Michelle Stockman. Stockman says this is at least 25% more than a “usual” day. “The festival also brings fun activities to locals and the opportunity to interact with tourists from all across the world,” says local Abby Cartwright.

Successful Festivals

Festivals are crucial to a city’s economic and social health, according to Steve Heap, Secretary of the Association of Festival Organizers . Heap says, “Festivals draw tourists to a city, but what the city does with the population makes or breaks it. There is no doubt at all that festivals contribute massively to the economic and social content including tourism, cultural mix, quality of life and there is plenty of research evidence available that can demonstrate that...” Heap says that successful festivals require specific advertising and meticulous planning. He says the Traverse City Film Festival clearly exhibits all of these qualities and remains a successful festival.

NEGATIVES OF CHERRY FESTIVAL

Along with the many positive aspects of the the National Cherry Festival comes a few downfalls of the festival on Traverse City, Michigan. Jodi Brady, a resident of Traverse City for 27 years, says she becomes frustrated with the large of abundance of tourists that this festival brings, especially while driving and shopping. She says her daily 15-minute drive to work usually turns into a 30 to 40-minute drive. Another resident, Jessie Black, also says she doesn’t like how the National Cherry Festival leaves a mess downtown. She says, “Many tourists don’t respect this city during the Cherry Festival. It makes me upset that when I go to the beaches or downtown, there is trash everywhere on the ground. Not cool.”