The 2007 Middfest International featuring The Netherlands closed a three-day event with 90 degree temperatures—a first for the annual cultural event which has run since 1981.

Photo by Deborah Rumford

Even though the outdoor temperatures were high, the guests came in large numbers. According to Event Director Virginia Ritan, “While no official count is yet available, food vendors left happy at their sales figures and the beer vendor sold out.” 

At times, the plaza area near the Miller Stage would seem vacant but the audiences had simply relocated to the shade  of the surrounding buildings and trees. Audiences were enjoying the music and dance as much as ever.  A few performances were relocated to shady areas and went on as planned.

A guest survey taken throughout the weekend revealed that Friday night visitors to Middfest came mostly from Butler and Warren Counties. Saturday those statistics shifted dramatically showing that people came from other areas. The numbers for the three days were 76% from Butler/Warren Counties, 16% from other Ohio Counties and 4% from other states (including 1% from other countries).

Also supporting the theory that many people return year after year and talk about Middfest to their friends, 89% said they’d learned about Middfest through word-of-mouth, with 11% getting their Middfest information from newspapers, TV, flyers and other methods.

Middfest planners are already looking toward the 2008 Middfest International and will be announcing the featured country within the next month.