BETTER THAN GOLD

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival Reaches Event World’s Grand Pinnacle

Fort Worth, Texas—Fort Worth’s main event has reached the peak in the festival world.

On Wednesday, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival received the International Festival & Events Association’s (IFEA) 2008 Grand Pinnacle Award for excellence in event marketing and promotion.

The Grand Pinnacle Award is the highest IFEA gives event producers, and this is the first time in the festival’s 24-year run that MAIN ST. has taken the honor. MAIN ST. is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc.

 “This beats Olympic gold in the world of festivals and events,” said Carlos De La Torre, who accepted the award in Boise, ID on behalf of Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. “We knew that MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is in a class by itself; now the world knows.”

The IFEA Pinnacle Awards recognize outstanding operations, production, marketing and promotions for events around the world and drew more than 1,500 entries in 62 categories this year. Go to www.ifea.com for more information.

In addition to the Grand Pinnacle in its class, MAIN ST. won a host of IFEA awards for its marketing, sponsorship and promotional programs.

Since MAIN ST.’s blockbuster 2008 run, the festival also won Texas Festivals and Events Association’s Zenith Award, the highest honor the association presents for marketing excellence.

MAIN ST. 2008 is led by two dedicated volunteer teams, the Event Steering Committee and the Festivals and Events Committee.  Jay Downie, CFEE, coordinated overall marketing and media promotions, and creative concepts and advertising were the work of Pinkerton Design in association with Concussion Advertising.  Publicity was managed by Diane Wolfe, ink. 

Despite their banner year, the MAIN ST. team can’t pause to celebrate yet. They’re busy putting finishing touches on the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights November 28 in Sundance Square.  This award-winning event serves as the centerpiece of Fort Worth’s holiday season, and is accompanied by the lighting of the Fort Worth Christmas Tree in Sundance Square.

About Us

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) and presented by Coors Light. It is listed as one of the top 10 art festivals in the country by the Art Fair SourceBook and the Harris List. Official Sponsors for 2008 were American Airlines, Chase, Ford, Sundance Square, Target, WaMu and XTO Energy. Official Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, Clear Channel Radio and D Magazine. Supporting Sponsors include Chesapeake Energy, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, and the Star-Telegram.