8/29/13 - Despite the commercial success of the event, the Howell Downtown Development Authority is blaming road traffic on the drop in attendance at this year's Melonfest celebration. DDA Director Diane Larkin says downtown businesses are reporting excellent sales from the festival, including some new all-time highs, and the event in general had excellent weather throughout the weekend. However, it appears that the actual number of people who attended the festival has declined from last year. Larkin says the DDA is blaming this on the road construction on I-96, US-23, and the intersection of Latson Road and Grand River, which made getting into the downtown area difficult. She says with the excellent weather, many people decided to visit other summer destinations rather than try to make it into Howell. A debriefing meeting will take place tonight with members of the DDA and the Parks and Recreation Authority to discuss the festival and begin plans for next year. Larkin says organizers are considering whether to implement a carnival, complete with rides, as part of the festival in coming years. She says organizers expect crowds to be on the rise again next year, when the construction will be finished and the Latson Road I-96 interchange completed. (TD)
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