BY SHERI MCWHIRTER
TRAVERSE CITY -- The early returns from the National Cherry Festival are in, and the consensus is it was better than many expected.
Both local business owners and festival organizers said it was a successful eight-day run for the event and area businesses, a welcome relief after uncertainty over how a national recession and Michigan's steep unemployment rate might impact the region's signature summer event.
"We certainly know it exceeded our expectations in regard to crowds," said Susan Wilcox Olson, festival spokeswoman. "People were ready or are ready to still take some time away."
Festival organizers believe many visitors were Midwestern residents who usually go elsewhere for vacation, but this year chose to stay reasonably close to home.
"It seemed like people had decided they were going to come to Traverse City. Some were on a limited budget, but they came," said Tim Hinkley, the new festival executive director.
Early figures indicate attendance was up at free events or those that cost less than $25, but down for those that cost more, he said. Whether the festival made or lost money this year won't be known until the end of the fiscal year, when all revenues are in and all expenses paid, Hinkley said.
Several downtown business owners said they were pleased with the activity generated by this year's festival. Cooler temperatures during the week kept some visitors away from the beaches, instead touring the downtown's shops and eateries.
"We were really swamped. With the economy, we weren't sure, but for us ... it was unexpected the way it turned out," said Heather Donn, store manager at Cherry Republic on East Front Street. The store made good profits, she said, and many customers shipped their purchases home because they bought too much to carry back. Orders were sent to nearby states such as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
"I didn't have any time to get out on the street and see what was going on because we were so busy," she said.
Downtown restaurants also reported a good week.
"It's very busy and it's a lot of fun. We enjoy our Cherry Festival customers who we get to see once a year," said Jeffrey Wichern, assistant manager at the Green House Cafe on Front Street.
It was the same down the street at Mackinaw Brewing Company, where customers ordered a lot of food and wait staff walked away with a lot of tip money.
"Our numbers were up about 10 percent. Our busiest day was July 3, the Friday, but Saturday was close," said owner Rod Langbo. "The crowds were good. I've been here 10 years now and the difference between being on Front Street and being one block over is a world of difference. Front Street is the place to be."
Traverse City and Cherry Festival T-shirts sold well at Identity Resort Wear, another shop on Front Street.
"I do well when there are people on the street. There were a lot of people on Front Street," said store owner Ronen Givon. "Everything that had cherries on it sold very well."
At the Open Space, crowds swarmed and farm market sales were strong, said Jeff Hughes, owner of Brownwood Farms in Williamsburg. Visitors bought plenty of salsa, barbecue sauce and fruit preserves, he said.
"We did very well. We were up over last year and considering it's not a Blue Angels year, which many people consider a barometer, it was great," Hughes said.
Local hotels and motels were busy but not overflowing, as several kept out vacancy signs much of the week.
"It was a challenge. We were up in revenue by a little bit," said Amy Parker, general manager at the Park Place Hotel in downtown Traverse City. "We had to drop rates to get people in. People were definitely shopping rates."
That's a sign people are spending money carefully, she said, so hotel employees had to work hard for every cent.
Attendance also was up more than 7 percent at the Cherry Connection industry-sponsored events held at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station in Leelanau County. The week drew more than 2,400 visitors, officials said.
This year's festival is still a recent memory but organizers are already thinking ahead.
"Everyone was overall pleased with the festival itself and the decisions that were made. But there's always room for improvement," Hinkley said.
He wants to improve external communications through the festival's Web site and find a way to gather contact information for those who attend, such as names and e-mail addresses. Festival organizers can use those tools to "loyalize" people to the annual event, Hinkley said.
"If we can get people to come every year and maybe stay an extra day or two or spend an extra $20, that's what we want," he said.
