Test run for festival becomes monthly event

GUTHRIE, Okla. (AP) - In June 2013, Guthrie city officials and some downtown retailers met to address concerns about the upcoming Gentlemen of the Road music festival. The September event would bring Mumford & Sons and other musicians to the area.

Marketing and Economic Development Director Cody Mosley said retailers devised a test run for the concert to see how the safety and crowd logistics would work. Eleven days later, the first Make Guthrie Weird monthly concert and street festival was held. The event returned this year and has been helping to bring people to the historic city’s downtown, The Journal Record reported (https://bit.ly/W7tbTI ).

But if it wasn’t for the first night’s success, the monthly events may not be happening. The first edition drew 400 people, said Shirley Clifford, co-owner of the Prairie Gothic shop with her mother, Christie. The shop sells vintage and new items, many locally made. The concert was held near Prairie Gothic, 118 S. Second St.

“It was a lot bigger than we expected it to be,” she said.

Prairie Gothic coordinates the music for each festival. The first event featured the band Escondido, which was also playing in Norman that weekend. Since then, the musicians are up-and-coming talent that Shirley Clifford thinks will be popular.

In May 2014, the lead performer was Valerie June. The attendance that month was approximately 1,800 people, with some fans coming from out of state, Clifford said. The August show had 2,000 attendees.

The monthly event also has food trucks to help feed the crowd. The initial show offered Union Tacos and Blue Belle Saloon as food options. Now it’s grown to six food trucks, with more added each month.

“I’m happy with how it’s grown,” she said. “It’s a good way to show off Guthrie for people that don’t know a lot about it. Of course, it’s a good thing for us and Guthrie.”

It seems to be a positive step for a lot of downtown businesses. Clifford said after the first festival in 2013, Stables Café co-owner Debbie Prather wanted to be a sponsor because her restaurant was so profitable. Many merchants and restaurants are staying open later on Make Guthrie Weird nights to profit from the population surge.

“It’s been good for everyone, I think,” Clifford said. “I think people see the effect of it.”

Hancock Creative Shop, next door to Prairie Gothic at 116 S. Second St., celebrated its grand opening during the first Make Guthrie Weird concert. Since then, it’s coordinated activities for the event. Co-owner Missy Hancock said her business has greatly benefited from the one-night festival.

“The event has been really crucial to our business,” she said. “It’s been a real huge blessing.”

The shop sells locally made artwork and accessories.

Hancock said her store and Prairie Gothic are trying to be like DNA Galleries and Collected Thread in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District. The two stores were among the first retail shops on northwest 16th Street before it became a thriving district.

“We know the power of two,” she said. “You get two people together and two businesses together and it can explode. That’s what we’re bleeding for. It’s going to explode over here.”

Mosley said his office was already seeing positive repercussions from the monthly festivals. He said he and his staff are talking to downtown property owners about renting space, even if it’s not listed as leasable.

“We’ve been looking at initiatives to help support new businesses,” he said. “I think people are really enjoying the culture. It’s the small-town feel filled with creativity. I think the message about Guthrie is getting out better than it has.”

The next Make Guthrie Weird concert will be Sept. 27, with headliner Parker Millsap. The music starts at 5:30 p.m. with Del Barber, Kierston White, John Calvin Abney, and Massey also scheduled to perform. The stage is usually set up near the State Capital Publishing Museum, 301 W. Harrison Ave., which intersects S. Second Street.

Mosley said the performers and the previous musicians give people a chance to see something new - both talent-wise and with what’s happening in Guthrie.

“Obviously, (Oklahoma City’s H&8th Night Market) is a measuring rod for festivals and events,” he said. “We’re not that big, but what we have is emerging artists. We have great food and great shops. I think people really want that small-town feel and that’s what we provide.”

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Information from: The Journal Record, https://www.journalrecord.com