Others, like Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium, cordoned off a section of its business for the special event so regular guests could still visit their taproom and restaurant.
New Belgium Brewing was the one exception to the ticketing rule. The brewery chose not to exclude its regular patrons from visiting its taproom, permitting anyone to attend the shows scheduled, Whitworth said.
“We found common ground there and agreed to let their patrons come in,” Whitworth said. “You didn’t have to have to have a wristband to go to New Belgium, and that was the one venue that was that way.”
Whitworth said the goal wasn’t to disrupt the normal flow of Asheville or its local businesses but to bring more people into their doors. The sentiment carried into the city as no road closures were required.
There were some hiccups with the flow of shuttle buses at times, Whitworth said, which he said is to be expected when shuttling nearly 7,000 people across the city. Even with a 40-minute delay, the system still worked, he said. Festivalgoers were within walking distance of other venues in most instances or had options to take other transportation.