Freedom Festival organizers already thinking about 2012

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Freedom Festival ended with a bang on the Fourth of July, where an estimated 100,000 people attended the fireworks display - a display that cost between $24,000 to $38,000 to bring back to May's Island in Downtown Cedar Rapids.

While the finale was a hit, did the month-long festival fizzle leading up to the fireworks?

"It's been an interesting year just transitioning from the former executive director leaving and shuffling duties around,” said Russ Oviatt, Interim Director for the Freedom Festival.

Freedom Festival lost its executive director, which is half its staff, thirty days before the month-long celebration was slated to kick off.

With well over twenty events scheduled - like concerts, parades and the balloon glow - it was at times a scramble to pull it off.

"We wanted to make sure we had good continuity going into the festival. Thirty days out, it shook us a little bit,” said Mark Hixson, President of the Board of Directors for the festival.

Commenters on the KCRG-TV9 Facebook page gave their own assessment of the Freedom Festival. People seemed to love the Kids Parade, but didn't like this year's route. People talked openly about how much they enjoyed the fireworks display, but the cost of food at vendor tents was too expensive. And a major suggestion for next year - bring in a major name in music.

"The bigger bands obviously cost a lot more money,” Hixson said. “We're non-profit, we're donation driven. We need someone to help sponsor that."

Now that Freedom Festival 2011 is complete, those who sponsored, volunteered or attended can help make the next one better.

"It's truly their festival,” said Hixson. “We do this for the citizens of Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities, so we need their feedback."