The decision to move Country Stampede to Topeka is disappointing on several levels. There are a couple of lessons to draw from it, too.
The disappointment stems largely from the fact that the Stampede was a signature event in Manhattan, one that brought national attention and roughly $8 million in economic impact to our area every year. It was the kind of event that we like to be able to point to and say: See, we live in a thriving area.
We say disappointment because some of the facts of the matter leave us cold:
o First, its evident that Stampede had been concerned for years with the economics of the festival. The cost of talent had continued to rise, so it needed a better cost structure to continue to thrive.
