The cost and benefits of community festivals in Indiana and how they can be improved to meet community goals

Community festivals are held throughout small towns in Indiana. This project examines the costs and benefits of community festivals in Indiana and they can be improved to meet community goals. Festivals are more than a frivolous form of entertainment for the public. Festivals have many roles to play: as catalysts for economic development, image makers for cities, as attractors, animators and for alternative/sustainable development. The Main Street Program offers a prominent promotional role for festivals in redeveloping downtowns. The marketing model holds the promise of evaluating the success of festivals and how they can be improved.Department of Urban PlanningThesis (M.U.R.P.