Featured Image: Musikfest 2020. Photo by – Ted Colegrove<\/i>
\nBETHLEHEM, PA–More than 2.2 million people took in Musikfest 2020, the 10-day music and arts festival that featured nearly 100 streaming and live-via-television performances, as well as a food court featuring 10 of the festival\u2019s most popular food vendors and six small-capacity, socially-distanced live concerts on the SteelStacks entertainment campus.<\/p>\n
As part\u00a0Musikfest 2020, festival patrons and donors came together to support ArtsQuest via the \u2018One Million Festers\u2019 matching gift campaign, helping\u00a0raise $656,000 in gifts and pledges July 27-Aug. 11.\u00a0 The initial success of the campaign has resulted in the ArtsQuest Foundation extending the initiative through the end of the year, allowing patrons at Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem and other ArtsQuest programs and events to come together to show their support for the nonprofit, which normally presents 4,000 concerts, educational classes and events but has lost 90 percent of revenue streams since mid-March due to the COVID-19 crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe excitement surrounding the \u2018One Million \u2018Festers\u2019 Matching Gift Campaign continues to gain momentum,\u201d says ArtsQuest Sr. Director of Advancement Selena Lavonier.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHundreds of individuals have stepped forward to support ArtsQuest in its time of need, including many who are new to our community-based nonprofit.\u00a0\u00a0The ArtsQuest Foundation Board of Trustees looks forward to reaching the matching gift goal and raising $1 million together with our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyone interested in supporting the giving campaign can do so by visiting\u00a0www.artsquest.org\/donate.\u00a0All money donated by year\u2019s end will be matched dollar for dollar by the ArtsQuest Foundation Board of Trustees up to $500,000, doubling the impact of new gifts.<\/p>\n
From July 31-Sept. 1, more than 192,000 people from all 50 states and countries as far away as Japan and Australia tuned in the watch the 40 Virtual Musikfest performances featuring sets by KT Tunstall, Robert Randolph and other artists, while just over two million viewers \u2013 an average of 200,000 per night, checked out the 38 concerts broadcast live via Service Electric July 31-Aug. 9 from its \u2018Garageplatz\u2019 studios.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe viewer response to our live broadcast of bands from \u2018Garageplatz\u2019 during Musikfest 2020 was outstanding, with these concerts among our most viewed shows during the month,\u201d says Service Electric Cable TV President John M. Walson. \u201cEveryone at the Service Electric Network was so happy to have live Musikfest programming on for the Lehigh Valley in 2020, offering a taste of what has made the festival so popular for so many years.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition, approximately 20,000 people attended Musikfest in-person by visiting the \u201cFest Food To-Go\u201d food vendors on Steel Stacks\u2019 PNC Plaza, enjoying the sold-out \u201cOutdoor Dining and a Show\u201d performances on SteelStacks\u2019 Air Products Town Square and purchasing Musikfest merchandise both at SteelStacks and the Musikfest popup tent on Main Street.<\/p>\n
Other highlights of the festival included family programing via the Virtual Familienplatz online portal and a closing-night fireworks show presented by Service Electric Cable TV & Communications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that we can talk about \u2018Musikfest 2020\u2019 at all is miraculous and owed to the tremendous support of our community,\u201d says ArtsQuest President and CEO Kassie Hilgert. \u201cWithout the support of our corporate partners, donors, supporting members, vendors and patrons, this event simply doesn\u2019t happen this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone at ArtsQuest thanks the entire community for its support of our 37th<\/sup>\u00a0year. Through your efforts, our artists and performers were able to keep people across the globe connected through music and the arts.\u201d<\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Featured Image: Musikfest 2020. Photo by – Ted Colegrove BETHLEHEM, PA–More than 2.2 million people took in Musikfest 2020, the 10-day music and arts festival that featured nearly 100 streaming … Continue reading Strong Support Results in ArtsQuest Extending Musikfest Matching Gift Campaign Through Dec. 31<\/span>
\nMark Demko, ArtsQuest
\nhttp:\/\/www.artsquest.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n
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