BIG NUMBERS
Arts, Beats and Eats raises record donations, sees fourth highest crowd
This year’s Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats and Eats festival attracted one of its largest crowds and raised the most money for charitable groups since the festival began, organizers said Thursday.
Donations of $398,133 were generated through the festival.
The money comes from multiple sources during the Labor Day weekend event, including festival sponsorships, gate admission fees, beverage sales and other revenue.
Donations to civic and charitable groups were handed out Thursday at an event in Troy with festival producer Jon Witz, county and other officials at Flagstar Bank headquarters.
Arts, Beats and Eats this year in Royal Oak featured Stone Temple Pilots, one of the biggest headliners to appear in the event’s history.
About 375,000 people attended the event, making it the fourthhighest attendance since the annual Arts, Beats and Eats festival started in 1998, organizers said.
Witz in a statement said the community turned out in full support of the event and donations this year.
“We delivered the most notable musical performers in the festival’s history,” Witz said, “while serving up incredible food, top artists from across the country and lots of family fun.”
Weather is always a factor in attendance numbers and Witz noted that there was “amazing weather” for the festival.
“Because of this incredible success … we’ve generated higher than anticipated funds for an array of community and charitable organizations,” he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of Arts, Beats and Eats in 2020, though an event called The Beats Go On, has some virtual and small socially distanced events in Royal Oak with musical performances and artists.
The festival’s return for 2021 was part of the comeback for live musical performances after a drought of such events for more than a year.
Arts, Beats and Eats “was not only crucial to musicians, artisans, area businesses and charitable organizations … but it also lifted spirits as festival guests enjoyed culture and good times,” Witz said.
More than $6 million has been raised for charitable groups since it began, organizers said.
Of the money raised this year, $192,411 went to charities in Royal Oak or to city parks, with donations made from the city parking.
Flagstar Bank, a presenting
sponsor of the festival, supported cultural opportunities this year with its Flagstar Culture on 4th during the event, while several of its bank branches took nonperishable food donations for the Gleaners Community Food Bank.
Festival goers who donated three or more canned goods got a discount on admission to Arts, Beats and Eats.
In the end, that effort resulted in 3,000 pounds of food, which was enough for 2,500 meals to be disbursed to those in need.
Soaring Eagle collected donations at entrance gates for Hunger Relief and yielded $10,500. That amount was matched with a $10,000 donation from Kroger.
Among the funds raised, $82,500 from gate proceeds was donated to a dozen organizations such as Forgotten Harvest, HAVEN, Lighthouse of Oakland County, Stagecrafters, The Rainbow Connection, Metro Detroit Youth Clubs, The Ted Lindsay Foundation HOPE Center, and Volunteers of America.
Thirteen groups shared in $110,482 from festival beverage sales. Among those groups are local organizations such as Interact of Royal Oak High School, Ferndale Marching Band, Royal Oak Dance Team, Royal Oak Titans Football Team and St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Another dozen charitable organizations shared in $57,800 in festival donations, organizers said.