HUMBOLDT — Energy was high despite changing weather forecasts during the fourth annual Middle of Everywhere music festival in Humboldt over Labor Day weekend.
“The biggest challenge in organizing years past has always been the generator. But this year, it was the weather,” said Damaris Kunkler, a festival organizer. “It was the first year that the forecast was showing that we were going to get hit hard, but we formulated a backup rain plan.”
Kunkler said the rain plan would have changed the outdoor experience expected on Sunday. However, only an hour delay was necessary.
“So, though we didn’t have to do that, when you have a set plan and then you have to pivot in a huge way, getting the technical details together very quickly can be stressful,” Kunkler said.
Outshining the challenges, Kunkler said the festival planning process was smoother this year, which allowed the festival crew to spend time partaking in the festivities.
“That was my favorite part — that our Middle of Everywhere crew was getting to have fun with everyone after they worked so hard,” Kunkler said. “They are dedicated. We are a small crew, but they hustle, have great ideas, and put their heart and soul into the work. I am very lucky to have them.”
Kunkler noted that the festival draws people to Humboldt and draws the community of Humboldt together.
“First, it brings music lovers out, and we come together for a shared experience.
Because it is three days long with many bands, we spend a lot of time together and have created a connection with our local people and with travelers that have come each year,” Kunkler said. “Plus, Humboldt gets to see multiple live shows that they would generally have to travel to go see.”
An added bonus to bringing people to Humboldt is the boost that many local businesses see, according to Kunkler.
“Our businesses have more foot traffic during the festival. Some have even created their own successful events within the festival, and we love that,” Kunkler said. “A great example is Jae & Co. having an event in their store, bringing in more vendors, food, music, festival hair, and jewelry. It was so much fun. This adds to the festival experience, and we encourage everyone to do that.”
Kunkler noted that businesses who hosted musicians during Friday’s music crawl saw a boost in sales. Those businesses include Octagon City Coffee Co., Cozy’s Grindhouse, and Sticks Golf Lounge.
“They have seen an increase in revenue from 30-75%. That is significant,” Kunkler said.”
Over the three days of music, attendees experience an evening of visiting several local establishments in a music crawl, and a Cruise night, with vintage cars on display downtown. Saturday morning began with a new event: a cornhole tournament hosted by Clear Creek Cornhole. This was followed by live music in the downtown square. In the evening, music fills Revival Music Hall. On Sunday, the festival moves fully outdoors at Camp Hunter, with music throughout the day. Kunkler said each day is its own mini-event.
“Because we have multiple locations for the music, we are sharing our town with people,” Kunkler said. “We are also bringing in other fun events such as a cornhole tournament, rock painting, and cruising to add to the atmosphere.”
Kunkler said that while many may say that they live “in the middle of nowhere,” she believes they live in the “middle of everywhere,” Which is how the festival got its name. Kunkler’s background is in economic development and community engagement.
“I had been using the words “middle of everywhere” to speak of our location since 2014, in the different context of economic development; but adding music to that made even more sense,” Kunkler said. When she began the festival, she was working on restoring a historic church to build Revival Music Hall, and was diving into being a musician herself. The music festival was created to benefit Revival Music Hall, which has proved itself to be a functioning music venue this year.
Kunkler said that there are roughly seven million people located in and between cities within driving distance, such as Kansas City, Tulsa, and Wichita; further supporting her claim that this region of Kansas is truly in the middle of everywhere.
Kunkler said that word of mouth has helped grow the festival through the bands that perform.
“Bands are excellent marketers for us, too. They will leave our town and tell everyone about it because they love it. They bring people to us, I heard it many times this festival,” Kunkler said. “They also tell their large circle of friends and followers about us, and I get a lot of messages from bands wanting to come here.”
Kunkler said building relationships with musicians and music lovers should have a positive impact on Revival Music Hall as well.
“This is a small festival, but it is full of heart and soul. Obviously, we would love to grow it, but we also love the tightness of it,” Kunkler said. “Saturday night at Revival Music Hall was very special. With the lights and sound complete, and everyone on their feet vibing and enjoying the band, it was a great experience, and it showed what the venue can be. Every one of the days had a crowd, so I am happy with it.”
To learn more about the Middle of Everywhere music festival, visit https://www. facebook.com/middleofeverywherehumboldt.
