A Snapshot of The Okeechobee Music Festival

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY DOUBLES IN SIZE FOR A FEW DAYS. EVERY YEAR IS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MUSIC LOVERS GATHER FOR THE OKEECHOBEE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL. 130 ARTIST, 80 HOURS OF MUSIC. AND FOR A NIGHT OF CAMPING, MAKE FOR A BIG IMPACT IN A RURAL AREA. WGCU REPORTER EILEEN KELLEY JOINS US NOW TO TELL US MUCH MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL AND ITS IMPACT ECONOMICALLY. HELLO, JENNIFER, GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> SO I THINK TO RESPECT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL SEEN FOR MANY YEARS, ESPECIALLY AFTER A FRIEND OF MINE ACCOMPANIED HER DAUGHTER ON SOME TRIPS THAT WAS BACK IN 2016. AND THAT WAS ALSO THE YEAR THAT THE OKEECHOBEE MUSIC FESTIVAL DEBUTED TO A SOLD-OUT CROWD OF MORE THAN 32,000 PEOPLE. MIND YOU, OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AT THE TIME HAD A POPULATION OF 39,000 PEOPLE. TODAY'S POPULATION IS NOT MUCH BIGGER. SO THIS IS A BIG, BIG DEAL FOR A SMALL RURAL COUNTY. KENDRICK LAMAR AND MUMFORD AND SONS WITH HEADLINERS IN 2016, THE NEW YORK TIMES CALLED THE FESTIVAL ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S GREATEST. SO TURNER, OKAY TO TELLS ME THAT IT IS THE GREATEST MUSIC VENUE HE'S EVER EXPERIENCED. AND I'D LIKE YOU TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF THE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH HIM JUST TO SEE WAS GETTING HOME FROM THE FESTIVAL. >> OKEECHOBEE IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD LIKE CURATING EVERYTHING LIKE THIS PAINSTAKING ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND MAKE EVERYTHING OK, YOU GUYS LIKE I KNOW IT'S LIKE I LOOK AT ALL LIKE IN THE STAGE PRODUCTION AND LIKE, EVERYTHING IS JUST LIKE EVERYTHING. JUST THAT SO PERFECTLY WITH THE LIGHTING OF THE HEART AND EVERYTHING LIKE IT SO THAT IT'S IT'S IT'S A PASSION PROJECT. >> KEITA TELLS ME HE'S BEEN GOING TO MUSIC FESTIVALS SINCE 2018. THE AVERAGE IS ABOUT 5 A YEAR. HE SAYS THAT THE ONE AT OKEECHOBEE IS THE BEST FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD. HE SO ENAMORED WITH IT THAT HE NOW EVEN HAS A TATTOO REPRESENT TANT. >> INCREDIBLE IN ITS BREATHTAKING. AND THAT SUNSHINE GROVE ITSELF IS JUST LIKE MAGICAL LAND LIKE THINGS JUST HAPPENED THERE. IT'S CRAZY. EVERY TIME I GOT A BUNCH OF ITS LIKE THE UNIVERSE IS LIKE CONSPIRING IN YOUR FAVOR. LIKE WHEN YOU'RE THERE LIKE IT'S JUST LIKE YOU TO SLEEP ON THE STREAM OF LIKE MANIFESTATION LIKE IT'S CRAZY. WILD AT THAT. >> THE COOLEST PLACE ON EARTH. I LOVE THE FESTIVAL. INTRODUCE KEITA OKEECHOBEE AND ALL OF THE OFFERINGS. AND THAT ITSELF IS MUSIC TO COUNTY, TOURISM AND COUNTY OFFICIALS. HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF MY CONVERSATION WITH JARED CANO. HE'S A SPOKESMAN FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, OKEECHOBEE OF MUSIC FEST IS A PHENOMENAL. >> COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR OUR COUNTY. THE BOOST TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. THE TOURISM PROMOTION AND THE SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. IT WAS JUST OVERWHELMING AND WELL RECEIVED BY ALL BUSINESSES. >> AND OUR RESIDENTS, EILEEN, THIS MUST BE A HUGE WINDFALL FOR THE BUSINESSES, THE HOTELS AND THE RESTAURANTS. WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THIS FESTIVAL ON THE ECONOMY? THERE? >> WELL, WELL, RIGHT NOW AND DID NOT HAVE SOLID ECONOMIC IMPACT FIGURES. I'VE SEEN FIGURES FROM PAST REPORTING ON THE MUSIC FESTIVAL IN OKEECHOBEE COUNTY IN. IT SAYS THAT OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD, THE SHOW HAD AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF 48 MILLION DOLLARS. AGAIN, ALL THOSE PEOPLE, MORE THAN 30,000 COMING YEAR AFTER YEAR TO EXPERIENCE THIS FESTIVAL CERTAINLY IS A HUGE WINDFALL FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EXCITES US THE MOST IS THE OPPORTUNITY IT CREATES FOR TOURISM PROMOTION, YOU KNOW, BY ATTRACTING THESE ATTENDEES FROM ACROSS THE STATE AND COUNTRY. THE SPECIAL WILL SHOWCASE OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AS A PIRATE DESTINATION AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GAIN A FUTURE COURSE FROM THE PEOPLE THAT CAME TO THIS MUSIC FESTIVAL. EILEEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INSIGHT. AND ALSO BRINGING US THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THIS FESTIVAL MEANS FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY. THANK YOU. >> I APPRECIATE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.