Council approves $25,000 sponsorship for 48 Hours music festival; one councilor votes no

The Atoka City Council approved a $25,000 sponsorship for the 48 Hours music festival's anniversary event after a presentation from organizer Chandra Potter; Miss Poe voted no while other councilors approved the funding.

Potter told the council the festival's current budget is $100,000 and that the organizers have applied for matching grants and are awaiting additional sponsorship commitments. She said the festival is intended to remain free to attendees and described plans for two stages (a main stage on the green space and a community stage downtown) to encourage attendees to visit downtown businesses during set changes.

Councilors asked about production and equipment costs, whether the city would be expected to provide sound and lighting for other events in the future, and the possibility of ticketing or staging fees for different acts. Potter and a production adviser described the event as larger than last year, with multiple acts and set changes requiring professional production support; she said some acts have rider and hospitality needs that venues typically accommodate.

The council voted to approve the $25,000 sponsorship with one dissenting vote. Several council members noted the large dollar amount for the municipal budget but said the council could revisit sponsorship policy in the future to define how the city supports events and what costs would be recouped by ticketing or rental.