A couple days before Saturday's Walk the Beat White Lake festival, Sara Kane-Smart's first as executive director, it became clear the weather may not cooperate. She and her team gathered, called around, and by the day before, they had in-case-of-rain sites scheduled for each of the 10 spots.
It was a move that paid off, as the latter half of the festival was hit with significant precipitation, forcing many acts into places not designed for musical performance. However, Kane-Smart was largely pleased with the results.
"Most everybody understood we can't control the weather," Kane-Smart said. "The Eric Engblade Trio, at WaterDog (Outfitters), played under the waves, and they had people standing around listening while kids splashed in what ended up becoming a pond. Our bands were really gracious about tucking in someplace."
Despite the rain, Kane-Smart said by her team's rough count, attendance was actually higher late in the afternoon than early. In the end, fan favorite Asamu Johnson and the Associates of the Blues, which placed highly in last year's voting, earned the top prize this time around. Kane-Smart said interest in the band was already high coming in due in part to their performance on the Walk the Beat float during the Fourth of July parade.
Kane-Smart said she was grateful to the indoor venues for being flexible with the festival. ReNew You Fitness, Stoney Edge Winery and the Book Nook & Java Shop merited special mention.
The festival cut down from 18 musical venues in 2024, which Kane-Smart said went well because it made it easier for attendees to see all the performers if they chose. The festival board will meet in coming weeks, and it's possible one or two more sites may be part of the 2026 festival so more nonprofits can take advantage of Walk the Beat's raffle ticket sales, of which half the revenue goes to participating nonprofits.
"We'd like to give different bands a chance and get more nonprofits involved," Kane-Smart said.
The rest of the revenue goes towards Walk the Beat's philanthropic efforts, as the group helps support music education among local students. In March, 33 students were awarded $6,500 worth of scholarships and instruments at the Walk the Beat kickoff event.
"This festival is all about building community through music," Kane-Smart said. "The big winners, when we're able to sell more tickets or get more donations, are local music students."
