BETHLEHEM, Pa. — In an economy where inflation causes concern about how to afford things in your daily life, surely Musikfest patrons worry about how to make the most of the festival.
As it turns out, customers at the country’s largest free, ungated music festival won’t really face any significant issues linked to the grand-scale economy — even if the organizers had to shoulder a bit more in expenditures to make the magic happen.
- Though inflation might be on your mind, as it happens, Musikfest is just as affordable as ever
- Despite some supply chain issues, costs for vendors and ticketed events have largely remained stable
- Yes, those commemorative Musikfest mugs still come with the cheapest refills you can find at a large-scale event
Before we dive into the details, rest assured, a beer refill — at least in most instances — still will run you $10 for a domestic and $11 for a craft brew in a Musikfest mug.
For what amounts to about two standard bottles or cans, it’s still a deal.
In fact, according to Brookston Beer Bulletin, on average, you may have paid about $1.70 for a beer in 1984 — about $4.04 or so these days — which is ever-so-slightly more expensive than the relative current price of $3.99.
Not that you’d notice the difference of a nickel, of course.
'Increase access to the arts for all'
But affordability does play an important part in the mantra of ArtsQuest, so keeping the beer cheap and flowing is integral.
“Our mission is to increase access to the arts for all, so you need to keep things affordable,” ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert said.
“It's also free festival that doesn't have a gate, so you've got to make sure that that you can recoup some of the costs, so we’re very mindful with the prices.
"And I would also say if you look at the Musikfest mug, it's 24 ounces, so it's two beers.”
“We're certainly still seeing increases for sure post-pandemic. Our operating costs went up by 20 percent, food vendors were probably 20 percent to 30 percent."ArtsQuest President Kassie Hilgert
While there is constant talk of recessions and inflation, the truth is, things have largely improved over the last year. While 2022 exhibited the highest average inflation rate of 8% — topping out in August at 9.1% — rates have dropped steadily month-to-month in 2023, hitting a low point of 3% in June, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator.
ArtsQuest has made it a priority to keep Musikfest free and accessible for everyone, Hilgert said — even if it meant the organization had to stretch a bit to make it happen.
Fortunately, this year, the organization budgeted higher than anticipated, “and we’re pleasantly surprised that it’s a little lower,” Hilgert said.
Although issues related to supply chains have largely been resolved since 2022, the country as a whole still has problems when it comes to those matters.
“We're certainly still seeing increases for sure post-pandemic,” Hilgert said. “Our operating costs went up by 20 percent, food vendors were probably 20 percent to 30 percent.
"So that lessened this year, but we're still seeing an increase over last year, just not as dramatic.”
Supply and demand
Norman Matthews, owner of Dinky’s Ice Cream Parlor, which has a truck at Musikfest, said he has felt a bit of a pinch when it comes to supplies.
But as he tells it, mild price increases haven’t stopped the customers from coming.
“Everybody needs to make money,” Matthews said. “They’re still coming out, and I hope they continue. If they don’t, we’ll still be here.”
“That's not how we do it, and how most venues do it. It's a much simpler formula. And the only way inflation factors into that is if the artist fees escalate, then the tickets will escalate."ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert
Those back-end costs may stretch the budget a bit, but it doesn’t tend to affect the attendees. If anything, they appear to come to Musikfest ready to shell out some dough.
Rachel Loven of Allentown, who was enjoying beer in her Musikfest mug with her friend Ana Ortega, noted the price of food and drinks don’t really matter all that much — after all, when most of the events are free, people can conserve their cash to indulge in drinks and food.
“Last time I came, I wasn’t making as much money," Loven said. "But this time, I’m like, ‘I don’t care!’”
As for Musikfest's ticketed headline shows, ArtsQuest steers clear of standard Ticketmaster ploys, such as increasing price based on demand.
“That's not how we do it, and how most venues do it," Hilgert said. "It's a much simpler formula. And the only way inflation factors into that is if the artist fees escalate, then the tickets will escalate.
"You're doing simple math with ticket fee versus number of seats you have in your venue. Anybody interested in going to a ticketed event doesn't necessarily have to worry about that kind of thing.”
At the end of the day, prices for food, drinks, entertainment and other elements of Musikfest are largely consistent — at least on the customers’ side.
People can expect to pay a bit more than last year, just as they would at any other concert or sporting event.
