MainStreet concert is a success

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS —The Grants MainStreet Project attracted a respectable crowd to the Cow Palace in Grants last weekend to hear music, make merry and enjoy posole.

MainStreet volunteer Ina Hoffman said the fundraising event Saturday night featuring Tobias Rene and Gonzalo was not as large as promoters had hoped, but attracted about 150 people. Hoffman said he definitely considered the event a success, although the project did not make money on the pilot concert. The event, which cost $25 at the door or $20 in advance, was a lot of fun, people enjoyed themselves and the MainStreet did not lose money. It bodes well for future concerts and community events.

The holiday concert featured food and drink concessions with homemade posole selling out. The presence of a cash wet bar limited concert hours to 11 p.m. but provided another fundraising opportunity and an companionable boost to the evening.

The bands had a good time, with Tobias Rene moving into the audience to stand on a chair and sing for the partygoers in the bar area.

Hoffman said the MainStreet Project expects to promote other fundraising concerts and to branch out into wider audiences, with local talent and Native American bands strong possibilities.

Proceeds for fundraisers go to further MainStreet projects such as the upcoming Christmas Light Parade, the Easter Egg Hunt at Riverwalk Park, the high school Seniors Barbecue, joint efforts with the Grants Beautification Committee and the annual Fire and Ice Bike Rally.

Information: Grants MainStreet Project, (505) 285-3573, 523 West Santa Fe, Grants. Hours —10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
On the Web: National MainStreet http://www.mainstreet.org/
National Trust for Historic Preservationhttp://www.preservationnation.org/
New Mexico MainStreet http://nmmainstreet.org/