WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Downtown Sundown Concert Series in Wilmington will remain free!
Wilmington Downtown Inc. was looking for donors to help support the annual Downtown Sundown series. The free concerts have been held in Riverfront Park for years, but construction in the park means the concerts need a new venue.
WDI found a parking lot nearby to stage the shows, but the group had to pay for the space, so it launched a kickstarter campaign to raise $9,000. The effort ended up raising all $9,000 of their goal.
Wilmington Downtown Incorporated president Ed Wolverton said if they had not reached the goal, they may have to look into other funding options, such as charging an entry fee.
Business owner Megan Sacarrelli says that option would have hurt audience numbers, but she’d still have her table out near the concert.
“I think a lot of people aren’t going to go, because they go to these concerts because it’s free,” Saccarelli said. “It’s downtown. You can bring the kids and if you’re going to pay to go to a concert, you’re going to go to Greenfield Lake or Ziggy’s or somewhere else.”
This would be the 10th anniversary season for Downtown Sundown, which features cover bands and welcomes thousands of people each summer.