The second Neely Fest has come a long way from its founding block party.
A year ago, then entrepreneurship junior Drew Thomas began the night with a self-built stage in his yard and seven bands lined up to play at his house on Neely Avenue. As the night progressed, what began as a pre-Welcome Week social event became 1,500 partygoers packed shoulder-to-shoulder in his backyard and spilling into the streets. When midnight hit, the festivities ended in a visit from the Muncie police and a noise ordinance violation. At the end of that weekend, Thomas knew that Neely Fest needed to continue.
Neely Fest 2012, set from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, is geared toward putting Ball State on the map.
"IU has Little Five and Purdue has Grand Prix. Ball State should have something equally significant. We want to have something recognized on a major level. That was our thought process for the first Neely Fest," said Cory Crawford, public relations representative of Neely Fest 2012.
Official sponsors, professional artists, merchandise and state-of-the-art sound equipment are heading this year's festivities, said Ian C. Mathews, president of Inside Connections Marketing. The Neely Fest 2012 team have been selling tickets for $10 each in front of various sponsor businesses in the Village. The location was originally set for the Village, but it was forced to migrate to the Delaware County Fairgrounds as word got out.
"Once we passed the 2,000 mark for attendees, we knew that we had to move it. We would have shut down the whole Village, which we didn't want to do," public relations director Maddison Glorio said, who estimates this year's attendance at 3,000 to 4,000 people.
Glorio equates the festival to a Skrillex concert with a light and laser show complete with carbon dioxide cannons, LED light-clad dancers and fire-breathers.
"The speakers have the capacity to reach 10,000 listeners. We want to have the biggest dance party ever in Muncie, and while we don't want to blow out the whole town, we are willing to use them," Glorio said.
The event is organized around the music. Four DJs, coming from Cincinnati and Chicago, are fueling the event with electronic dance music.
"Electronic dance music is high energy - you feel it more than listening to it," Mathews said. "A large group of people jumping to the same music creates a comradery."
Thomas said this Neely Fest is meant to build credibility, the motto being "rage responsibly." He wants to show the university that "Ball State students want something like this and can handle something like this." To ensure the slogan, there will be no alcohol on the event premises. Clubs, such as University Democrats and Phi Sigma Epsilon, are participating and Thomas said he hopes more join the festival in the future.
Mathews estimated the event will cost $25,000, factoring in light and sound production, performers, merchandise and location costs. Large international corporations as well as local businesses, such as The Locker Room and Grandma Betty's Ice Cream, are sponsoring the event. While the fest is geared toward "raging responsibly," it is also an economic strategy.
"We need to revitalize the Village - someone needs to do it and there's talk about it, but there needs to be action. ... The purpose is to break the barrier between businesses and the student body, who they are and what they do [to] create a stimulus for the economy of Muncie," Mathews said.
The team behind Neely Fest 2012 wanted to create a six-hour event that would give students enough time to get to see all of the businesses that will be present at the festival. Village sponsors see this event as a window into campus.
"It's important for all of us in the Village to pull together and represent ourselves. When we do that, it's better for everyone, businesses and students alike," Locker Room owner Justin Wrightsman said.
The team hopes to not only make this a tradition welcoming students looking for a fun experience, but to show that the town is "not just Wheeling to Tillotson or Jackson to Bethel, that Muncie is more than that."
"This is going to be huge," Mathews said. "If we get the right amount of support from the city, local businesses, newspapers and radio, this could be revolutionary for the city of Muncie. It could change its image. When people think of Muncie, they could think of this amazing festival."
What: Neely Fest 2012
Where: Delaware County Fairgrounds, 1210 N. Wheeling Ave.
When: Friday 6 p.m.-Midnight
Cost: $10 pre-event or $15 at the gate
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