Now that Bayou Country Superfest producer-organizer Quint Davis has confirmed he’s bringing the two-day country music festival back to Tiger Stadium in 2012, city-parish and state officials are planning to meet with Davis in the coming weeks to begin hashing out a long-term agreement to keep the event in Baton Rouge, says Councilman Joel Boé.
“The plan is to get a three-year or five-year deal done, and we’re hoping to have our next meeting in the next 30 days,” says Boé, who was chosen by the Metro Council to represent the board in discussions with Davis, Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau President Paul Arrigo and a representative of Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne’s office.
Boé says he wants to see some performance metrics, such as total attendance figures, put in place to determine the level of local funding the festival should get each year. Also, he says, the city-parish’s allocation should decrease each year and sunset after three or five years. Davis has said he’s interested in having discussions to keep the event in Baton Rouge.
The Metro Council in December stripped its budget of $300,000 that was to go to the festival. However, the event received $200,000 each from the state Office of Tourism, the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and a recovery grant from BP to return in 2012. —Steve Sanoski
Today’s poll question: Do you think Bayou Country Superfest will be held in Baton Rouge in 2013?
