CLINTON, Iowa – The concert dates have been set for a new country music event in the community.
The Tailgate N’ Tallboys’ three-day country music festival will launch an annual concert event at Riverview Park in Clinton on June 8, 9 and 10, 2023, Clinton Mayor Scott Maddasion told the QCBJ.
The mayor added that the concerts will return on the second weekend of June after next year.
That festival is expected to bring music, tourists and about $4 million in economic impact to the area.
“This will put Clinton on the map,” Mr. Maddasion told the QCBJ a few weeks ago. “We work hard to ensure our community is a great place to live, work and play, and we are extremely proud of what we have here in Clinton.”
The music festival took a significant step on Tuesday, May 24, when the Clinton City Council approved a contract with USA Concerts. The terms of the contract include:
- The festival budget is set at $3 million each year. Clinton will pay half that cost, and the fest promoter – USA Concerts – will pay the other half.
- The contract will be a co-promotion partnership between the city and USA Concerts. Expenses and profits will be shared equally between the two entities.
- The initial contract is for three years, with the first two years of concerts guaranteed, and the third year will be optional to be agreed by both parties.
“We are starting to gather a local team consisting of all key players like public safety, city hall, parks and recreation … to ensure our team on the ground here can work through all the local issues that we need to tackle and then also to work in unison with USA Concerts,” the mayor added.
Mr. Maddasion said all the hard work will be worth it in order to make the music festival a reality. It not only will be a great thing for music lovers, but also for the local economy. At a recent council meeting, city officials were told the event would have nearly a $4 million economic impact on Clinton.
And that $4 million might be a conservation number. Leslie Webster, director of the convention and visitors bureau of Grow Clinton, told the QCBJ the economic impact could exceed that number as officials are still reviewing the figures.
“For example, we don’t have any camping revenue figured into that estimate, but we know that is a piece of the event. We are excited for not only the great financial impact this series will have on our city, but also for the opportunity to get Clinton, Iowa, on the map for fans from across the Midwest,” Ms. Webster added.
“This event will have a direct impact on our local businesses and our local economy, along with being a great tool for business attraction, expansion and development,” Mr. Maddasion added.
Tailgate N’ Tallboys is a music festival that has played at numerous cities across the nation in the past few years. It is scheduled to play in Taylorville, Illinois, July 28-30.
