Newton City Council Approves Downtown Street Closures for June Wild Cat Country Fest and Christian Concert

The closures of the streets on the north and west sides of Newton’’s square for music concerts Saturday and Sunday June 18th and 19th were approved at last night’s City Council meeting. 3rd Ward Councilman Craig Trotter cast the only vote against shutting down the streets for the Wild Cat Country Fest and the Fierce Faith Christian Concert. The two Streets will be closed after 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday Afternoon. Bonnie Terpstra owns the “Farmer’s Wife” store on the northwest corner of the square. She was the only business owner to speak against the street closures during last (Monday) night’s council meeting. She noted Saturday is the best sales day of the week for her business, and that the Country concert will not bring people into her store. 

Dana Van Gilder is a member of the Wild Cat Country Fest Board. She explained closing the two streets late Friday afternoon is related to building the two stages the performers will be on.

According to Van Gilder, the stage builders’ contract says they do not have to work past 10 p.m.. She also addressed concerns about people hanging around downtown overnight..Saturday into early Sunday. She says event security will be telling people to leave when the Marshall Tucker Band ends their performance at 10:30. 

The downtown area will need to be cleaned up in time for the start of the Fierce Faith Concert Sunday. Van Gilder says the Wild Cat Country Fest crowd is expected to be between 15-hundred to 25-hundred, while Sunday’s Christian Concert is expected to draw AT LEAST 25-hundred.