Maplewoodstock Number 20 is in the books.
Organizers estimated about 5,000 people passed through the park each day for a total attendance of about 10,000.
There were some new additions this year, including a tented area called “The Long Hall,” which gave people a chance to get out of the sun and sit at tables near the food vendors. The tent also included an art exhibit called “20 Under 20” featuring art by young artists.
“We also had an Instagram selfie wall on there, incorporating some old stage backgrounds so people could pose in front of them and make it look like they were on an old stage,” said Jamie Ross, a member of the Maplewoodstock Committee and one of the founders of the event.
There was also a misting canopy that spritzed a cool mist on people.
The event, which pays for itself, raises money through the sale of merchandise, vendor spaces, sponsorships, advertising and the beer garden.
The festival is entirely run by volunteers and had a budget this year of about $170,000.
The amount of money collected has not been tallied yet but organizers have created a non-profit – the Music and Arts Education Project, which runs campaigns to help raise money for school supplies locally.
Ross said committee members are generally pleased with the current festival configuration, which places most of the vendors on a field behind the stage. In years past, vendors had taken up space at the top of the hill facing the stage.
“I think we really nailed down how to configure that space,” Ross said. “In the end where the vendors used to be, there was overflow crowd.”
The local acts which open each day of the festival were all “really good,” said Ross, noting the committee gets about 120 submissions for about 18 spots.
The committee meets about once a month all year leading up to the event.
“The week before, you feel like ‘can I do this again?’ then it happens, and it’s all worth it,” Ross said.
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