Thursday March 28th, 2024 4:23AM

Moonshine Arts & Music Festival may be coming to Hall County this July

By Bryan Pirkle Reporter

A three-day music and arts festival that wants to relocate to Hall County was the subject of an extended discussion Monday afternoon during the county commission's work session.
 
Representatives of the Moonshine Arts & Music Festival, which has been held in Ringgold for the last five years, were on hand to pitch their vision for a potentially annual event to be held at Braselton's Lanier Raceplex which, if met with the necessary approvals from county officials, would run over the course of three days during the July 4th weekend.
 
"This is our fifth year," said event promoter Brandon Couturier. "We've been looking to expand. In Ringgold, we were at Cherokee Farms."
 
He said the event is expected to generate around $500,000 in revenue for the area.
 
Event organizers said the festival would only allow for attendees aged 18 and older, and that they expected the event to continue growing in size in the coming years.
 
"We've grown this from a few friends in the backyard to a viable event," Couturier said. "This year...we might have some fall off due to the different location - but we are closer to Atlanta, so it's a little easier for the Atlanta folks to come visit, some of the South Carolina folks will come down - so our goal is to be somewhere around the 45-hundred range over the three day weekend."
 
Commissioners Richard Higgins and Kathy Cooper expressed concern about the effect the music would have on the property's neighbors, but organizers said the event's location and surrounding tree cover, in addition to stage design and orientation, would help mitigate the effect.
 
Couturier also said, while addressing concerns about the event's impact on the surrounding area, that local businesses had already begun expressing excitement regarding the influx of potential customers.
 
In order to facilitate the event, commissioners would need to approve the alteration of the Raceplex's current business license, which only allows concerts, specifically country or gospel music concerts, to be held on Friday nights. The changes would be for this year only, with more permanent alterations to be made at a later date.
 
"This is a one-time [request], just for this event, for this year, to see how it goes," explained Susan Rector, Director of the Hall County Business License Department. "If it's a success, then they are talking with the promoters, as I understand it, about having a five-year contract with them and making this a one time per year event for at least the next five years."
 
Couturier said event organizers are already set on the Hall County location for the foreseeable future, with the expectation that the Raceplex will serve as event host for the next several years.
 
"I don't see it as a trial," he said.

Couturier noted that in the event's history, no incidents involving law enforcement or other authorities had occurred, and that organizers had already reached out to Hall County law enforcement in order to facilitate a working relationship.
 
In reviewing the request for license alterations, Rector noted that the festival would require the use of a third-party caterer, as the Raceplex was not licensed to sell alcohol to attendees.
 
"Initially, they had indicated that there would not be any alcoholic beverages, but they have notified my today that they're wanting to pursue getting a permit," she explained.
 
She said the license could be modified by commissioners without the need for a public hearing.
 
Following roughly 15 minutes of discussion, commissioners seemed agreeable to the proposal, and the event is expected to continue receiving the go-ahead as it moves its way through future government consideration.

© Copyright 2024 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.