Delaware News

Firefly Music Festival set to make Delaware’s economy glow

Delaware Tourism Office | News | Date Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2012



Dover, Del. (July 12, 2012) – A crew from the Delaware Tourism Office toured the site of the Firefly Music Festival Thursday, and what they saw was jaw-dropping – an area near Dover International Speedway that was trees and grass is now fitted with vendor tents, staging areas, gravel roads, hammock stations, portable restrooms and an entrance with a huge sign that reads “Firefly.”

“To have the vision to take the woods and transform it into a mini-Woodstock is pretty amazing,” Delaware Tourism Director Linda Parkowski said while surveying the area.

Firefly takes place July 20-22 at this sprawling sea of green, renamed The Woodlands. Headliners at the rock festival, run by Red Frog Events, include big-name acts such as Jack White, the Black Keys, the Flaming Lips, OK Go, John Legend, The Killers and Death Cab For Cutie.

“We’re talking about a whole festival of acts that have been or could be on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ any of the late night talk shows or even the cover of Rolling Stone,” Parkowski said.

Parkowski said the heart of Delaware will see a double dose of cash and visitor influx next week, as Firefly will bring roughly 30,000-40,000 people daily to the Dover area, and the Delaware State Fair, which runs July 19-28, will bring about 35,000 daily to the Harrington area. The Firefly festival alone is expected to generate $12.6 million in revenue, Parkowski said. Firefly crews have already been spotted buying up supplies at local stores.

“The whole state will actually get a little bit of this economic infusion, because hotels in all three counties are booking up thanks to Firefly,” Parkowski said.

Music fans from 48 of the 50 states will attend the festival, and hotel reservations and chatter on social media suggest that they might extend their stay beyond the weekend. While five-star beaches in Rehoboth and Dewey will be among the top destinations, there are other attractions as well, Parkowski said. The Delaware Tourism Office’s Delaware Wine and Ale Trail offers a trip to 12 breweries and wineries offering the best suds and wines that the First State has to offer, including Dogfish Head – the official beer of Firefly. There’s also the Delaware History Trail, which includes 36 noteworthy sites throughout the state.

“We’re hoping the music fans who come to the festival get here early and stay a little longer after it’s over,” Parkowski said.

The Delaware Tourism Office, 99 Kings Highway in Dover, Del., a division of the Delaware Economic Development Office, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware.  For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free (866) 284-7483.

###

Click here to watch a video featuring footage from the grounds of the Firefly Music Festival

Contact:
Peter Bothum
Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator
State of Delaware
Peter.Bothum@delaware.gov
302-672-6813 (office)
302-632-6665 (cell)

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Firefly Music Festival set to make Delaware’s economy glow

Delaware Tourism Office | News | Date Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2012



Dover, Del. (July 12, 2012) – A crew from the Delaware Tourism Office toured the site of the Firefly Music Festival Thursday, and what they saw was jaw-dropping – an area near Dover International Speedway that was trees and grass is now fitted with vendor tents, staging areas, gravel roads, hammock stations, portable restrooms and an entrance with a huge sign that reads “Firefly.”

“To have the vision to take the woods and transform it into a mini-Woodstock is pretty amazing,” Delaware Tourism Director Linda Parkowski said while surveying the area.

Firefly takes place July 20-22 at this sprawling sea of green, renamed The Woodlands. Headliners at the rock festival, run by Red Frog Events, include big-name acts such as Jack White, the Black Keys, the Flaming Lips, OK Go, John Legend, The Killers and Death Cab For Cutie.

“We’re talking about a whole festival of acts that have been or could be on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ any of the late night talk shows or even the cover of Rolling Stone,” Parkowski said.

Parkowski said the heart of Delaware will see a double dose of cash and visitor influx next week, as Firefly will bring roughly 30,000-40,000 people daily to the Dover area, and the Delaware State Fair, which runs July 19-28, will bring about 35,000 daily to the Harrington area. The Firefly festival alone is expected to generate $12.6 million in revenue, Parkowski said. Firefly crews have already been spotted buying up supplies at local stores.

“The whole state will actually get a little bit of this economic infusion, because hotels in all three counties are booking up thanks to Firefly,” Parkowski said.

Music fans from 48 of the 50 states will attend the festival, and hotel reservations and chatter on social media suggest that they might extend their stay beyond the weekend. While five-star beaches in Rehoboth and Dewey will be among the top destinations, there are other attractions as well, Parkowski said. The Delaware Tourism Office’s Delaware Wine and Ale Trail offers a trip to 12 breweries and wineries offering the best suds and wines that the First State has to offer, including Dogfish Head – the official beer of Firefly. There’s also the Delaware History Trail, which includes 36 noteworthy sites throughout the state.

“We’re hoping the music fans who come to the festival get here early and stay a little longer after it’s over,” Parkowski said.

The Delaware Tourism Office, 99 Kings Highway in Dover, Del., a division of the Delaware Economic Development Office, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware.  For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free (866) 284-7483.

###

Click here to watch a video featuring footage from the grounds of the Firefly Music Festival

Contact:
Peter Bothum
Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator
State of Delaware
Peter.Bothum@delaware.gov
302-672-6813 (office)
302-632-6665 (cell)

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.