Regional Festival features local music, food

Fans catching the action at the NCAA Baseball Regional at Bart Kaufman Field last weekend could also take part in a bonus event sponsored by the IU Athletics Department.

The Jordan Avenue Festival took place just outside the baseball field, and it aimed to keep fans entertained before, after and between games.

Jake Dodds and the Stagecoach Revolver and the All Access Band provided live music, and food was available from Great White Smoke BBQ, Papa John’s and Kids Kettle Korn. Tents and tables kept festival-goers out of the heat.

“It’s nice to come out and sit in the shade after sitting on the hot aluminum seats during the game,” Bloomington resident and IU graduate Tim Riffle said.

Riffle and his wife, Sarah, traveled to Phoenix when the team played games against Washington, Utah and Oregon State earlier this season.

They said since many of the games this weekend were standing-room-only, fans probably appreciated the extra seating at the festival.

IU took its first two games: a 10-2 win against Youngstown State Friday and a 4-2 victory against Stanford Saturday.

Both days also saw record attendances for Bart Kaufman Field. Friday’s record of 4,125 fans was broken Saturday with 4,312 fans.

Roy Lubovsky is the dining director for IU Athletics, but he coordinated most of the festival’s events.

“It got dumped in my lap, and I sort of ran with it,” he said.
Lubovsky said IU Athletics modeled the festival after the Super Bowl experience in Indianapolis in 2012.

He said the goal was to create an environment where people could join in on the fun, even without a ticket to the game.

“It’s more of a nicety, where people can sit and enjoy music,” Lubovsky said. “And it’s all ages.”

Lubovsky said the department hoped to create a place where fans of all teams could mingle and enjoy the fun. But almost all the fans at the festival were supporters of IU.

Workers at the festival gave away IU-themed towels, posters and pom-poms. IU apparel was also available to purchase.

The Athletics Department wanted a type of experience different than tailgating for football games in the fall, but it also saw the festival as a training ground for local food truck Great White Smoke BBQ, which began in October 2013.

Truck owner Dave White said he had approached IU Athletics about getting involved with tailgating in the fall, and they invited him to bring his truck to the baseball stadium.

“The idea was the live music and the smell of the smoke to bring people in,” White said.

Lubovsky said they would close the area about 30 minutes before the first pitch to encourage people to go to the games.

Though it was slow on Friday, Lubovsky said he expected there would be more people at the festival through the weekend, when they didn’t have school or work.

“By Sunday we’re hoping for 1,000 people,” he said.

Dodds said he thought the festival was a huge success. He said having a new facility in Bart Kaufman Field is a big plus to draw people in, and even though it was hot playing music in the sun, he would do it next year if given the opportunity.

“The bigger it gets, the better,” Dodds said. “I love stuff like this.”