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Hawkshaw Music Fest

Hawkshaw Music Fest 2007 logo

The Hawkshaw Music Fest is an annual music festival created in 2007 by the Independent News to fill the void left by the defunct SpringFest. The festival was held for the first time on May 19-20, 2007. It takes its name from the historic Hawkshaw area of downtown Pensacola.

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Background

SpringFest, the foremost music festival of the Pensacola area, had for years faced dwindling attendance, rising costs and a shortage of sponsors, and in 2006 canceled the already-planned event with a promise to return the next year. When the organization announced in January 2007 that there would be no SpringFest that year, many believed the festival would never return.

On January 18, 2007, Rick Outzen announced on his blog that the Independent News was working to resurrect the festival on a smaller scale.[1] At the time, the intention was to retain the SpringFest name, but this fell through when the controlling organization announced they would not yield trademark rights.[2] Suggestions for a new name were invited, and on February 1 they officially announced the Hawkshaw Music Fest, named for the historic area along Pensacola Bay.

The stated goals of the Hawkshaw Music Fest, besides providing a city-wide musical venue in the absence of SpringFest, include showcasing local bands and demonstrating appreciation to active military personnel, who receive free admission. The festival will have only two stages (compared to SpringFest's five), and tickets will cost between $5-10 (compared to $30 in SpringFest's later years). Organizers have announced that all net proceeds from the event will go to charities.[3]

2007 Details

References

External links