There was good participation for most of the events, such as Saturday night’s picnic, when Severinsen, DiMartino, his son Gabriel DiMartino, and friend and fellow trumpet player Allen Vizzutti enthralled audiences. High attendance also made for happy vendors, as the festival market and other booths reported strong sales, Kinkade said.
Probably the most pleasant surprise for organizers and vendors, though, was Friday’s Bayou and Brass, an event that included band performances, local renditions of cajun delicacies and a big shot in the arm for the festival’s financial health, as beverage proceeds went to help fundraising for the future. Kinkade said it was likely the start of a new tradition of having an open event downtown to help kick off the weekend.
Bourbon and Brass, which combined brass music with tastings of some of the region’s famous whiskies, was held the last several years in Harrodsburg to benefit the festival. Tickets were sold to that event, giving organizers some idea of how many people to expect.
This year, the event was held in Danville. “We decided not to sell tickets to Bayou and Brass, to make it more of a community-spirited event, and a lot of people came out, as we hoped they would. We were still able to make money and everyone seemed to have a great time. The bands said they really enjoyed themselves, as well.”
Kinkade said the festival couldn’t have happened without a legion of people behind the scenes. She said 2012 was special in part because of the number of new faces who gave both their sweat and money for the first time.
“We had a lot of new volunteers willing to come in and to be part of this, and a lot of new sponsors came on this year,” Kinkade said. “So we felt like we’ve reached out into the community more than we have in the past, which we love to see.”
Winners at Saturday’s Great American Picnic were:
- Sousa Award — best of show, the table that stands out above all others: “I’ll Have Another,” Julie Tucker.
- Trumpetissimo — table that salutes an event, person, point in time or organization that deserves recognition or honor: “In Honor of Vince DiMartino,” John and Martha Cawood and Jan and Larry Scott.
- Brass Band Festival Theme — table that best reflects the spirit of the Great American Brass Band Festival: “Saluting Danville,” Danville tourism, Economic Development Partnership and industrial foundation.
- Off Centre — table that displays the most humor in decorations: “Wedding Bell Blues,” Jane and J.P. Brantley.
- Spielberg Award — table exhibiting the most creativity and novel idea: “Going Green,” Adam and Angela Miller.
- Judges’ Pick — “Honoring Our Soldiers,” Atmos Energy; and “Mardi Gras,” Tim Robbins and Crystal and Chris Hibberd.
Staff Writer Jennifer Brummett contributed to this story.
