BamaJam brings in $477,000 for taxes, charity

Local and state coffers are getting an economic boost of more than $350,000 based on the sale of food and beverages at the BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, which also raised $127,000 to go toward the construction of a new Enterprise High School.

The second-year event, held the first weekend of June in a field along Highway 167, grossed $5.8 million in sales.

“We took in a lot of money,” said BamaJam founder and Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley of Enterprise.

“We made it in the black, which is phenomenal. Normally it takes five to seven years for an event of this nature to get in the black,” he said.

Gilley said $6 million was spent on this year’s event, including entertainment, production and infrastructure, but he’s still calling it a profitable year because the money spent on infrastructure shouldn’t be charged off to one festival.

Despite rain at this year’s event, the crowd was up from 2008. On Saturday alone the crowd easily topped 100,000. Hungry and thirsty fans consumed a lot of corn dogs, bottled water, and Budweiser.

Gilley said 300,000 people passed through the gates of BamaJam over three days, but that figure does not give an accurate tally of attendance. That number includes those who passed back and forth through the gates three, four or five times.

Gilley is determined to get a more accurate counting system in place for next year.

“We had roll clicks for counting, but five hours into the first day, the roll clicks got knocked down. It was not logistically feasible to use them when you’ve got people standing in line to get in.

“We will have a validated process that counts next year. I can still confidently say we had the largest music festival in the country again. The artists were overwhelmed at the crowd.”

Regardless of the exact number, it’s clear fans came and they bought. Sales taxes, which will be paid next week, total $357,000 and break down as follows:

Enterprise city taxes — $84,000

Coffee County taxes — $56,000

State taxes — $217,000

Taxes paid on last year’s festival totaled $328,000.

In addition, the Bo Harrell Foundation and the Jimmy Bowden Foundation will split $127,000 in charitable contributions. Both foundations are named for former Enterprise High School graduates who lost their lives.

The foundations support EHS, with monies going to help pay for the construction of a new school, expected to open in the fall of 2010. Enterprise High School was destroyed by a tornado on March 1, 2007.

“That is absolutely wonderful,” said Enterprise Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jim Reese upon hearing of the donation. “That will help us tremendously. We are very grateful for Ronnie and what he is doing and for the Harrell and the Bowden families.”

Reese said last year’s contribution from BamaJam was $65,000. The school system will also receive funds from the “We are Enterprise” CD put out by Gilley with songs from various country music artists.

This year’s festival drew fans from 47 states and six countries, compared to 26 states and three countries last year.

A few tickets for the 2010 event were sold at this year’s festival, with official ticket sales opening in September. Kenny Chesney has signed on as the headliner for the 2010 festival. Also performing are Jake Owen, LoCash Cowboys, Blackberry Smoke and Houston County.

Ronnie Gilley Entertainment Productions is making several changes to the 600-plus-acre BamaJam site, including clearing woods behind the main stage in order to push it back to accommodate more fans. Also, sky boxes and stadium seating are being added.

“Kenny Chesney alone will sell 70,000-plus tickets. We know that,” Gilley said. “With another 40-plus acts, we don’t want the same problem we had this year, where people were pushed back up into the saloon. We had to shut down the band up there so people could hear Brooks & Dunn. We know that bowl in front of the main stage currently accommodates 60,000 to 70,000 people.

“We will continue to enhance the site,” Gilley said. “We are adding more full-service camp sites and adding a club house and a pool. And we’re looking forward to next year.”