Attendance up 25 percent from last year, reaching 25,000

Thank music lovers for making this year’s da Vinci Days festival one of the largest ever.

Da Vinci Days attendance this year hit a high point, with 25,000 people estimated to have taken in some part of the three-day festival, an increase of 25 percent over last year.

Most of the credit for the big draw goes to Pink Martini, the Portland-based band that headlined this year’s event, according to Brenda VanDevelder, executive director of the festival since 2005.

“We’ve found that the key is attracting people who are just interested in music and getting them to stick around for the other events,” she said. “We have lots of different ways for people to spend money.”

Festival organizers peg the Friday night crowd for the Pink Martini show at a record 7,600 people. This year’s event was held July 20-22.

VanDevelder said the success of this summer’s event helps the nonprofit group work its way back into the black after borrowing $47,000 in 2004 to cover steady losses. The event has made money for the last two years.

Ticket sales factor into the group’s finances, but a great deal of support also comes from corporate and individual donors. While the total number of corporate sponsors has stayed the same, their contributions have declined in recent years. However, donations from individuals have picked up some of the slack.

Next year’s event will mark the 20th anniversary of da Vinci Days, planned for July 18-20. VanDevelder said a major change for 2008 will be the creation of a spring film festival.

“We’ve been hearing for years that people would like the film festival to move,” VanDevelder said. “They just weren’t able to fit it in during the rest of the events.”

The April event will choose a slate of winning movies which will be featured in the summer. The film festival will remain under the da Vinci Days umbrella.

Reporter Matt Neznanski can be reached by calling 758-9518 or at matt.neznanski@lee.net.