By Brittany Anderson

BUDA — Planning a music festival takes a lot of time and work, but Buda leaders and staff are working to successfully bring one to the city. 

During the regular Buda City Council meeting on Nov. 1, council members approved an agreement with the Texas Music Network for the Blue Sage Music Festival to be held next year at Buda City Amphitheater and Park. 

The city was first approached by KOKE-FM in 2021 with interest in hosting a large-scale festival in Buda in fall 2023, similar to their existing festival KOKEFEST held in Hutto. KOKE-FM representatives met with the city council last year to present their vision and held multiple meetings with the Buda Economic Development Corporation (EDC) board and city staff members.

A final review of the contract terms was conducted by the Buda City Park Ad Hoc members on Oct. 3.  The agreement outlines that the fee payable due in fiscal year 2023 is $95,000, in which the city pays $47,500 and the EDC funds an additional $47,500 through the city.

In exchange for the financial contribution from the city and the EDC, the city will receive:

• 12 weeks of on-air promotion and commercials

• Live broadcasts and interviews on-air

• Pre-event site videos and Facebook live sessions

• 12 weeks of digital advertising across all social media platforms

• Additional promotion in print

• Signage and activation space at the festival

• City promotional video at the festival on the video boards

• 25 pairs of tickets to be used at the city’s discretion

• $75,000 value for radio and digital media promotion

During the Nov. 1 meeting, Lise Hudson with Texas Music Network said that their logistics team has been out to the park and is working on a map, as well as stage staff reviewing some of the staging options. Additionally, all of their offers have been sent out to potential talent for the festival. 

“We’re kind of moving down the road,” Hudson said. “I think things are really going in the right direction. My staff is very excited. We are very excited just to be able to partner with Buda. We want to bring something to Buda that everyone can enjoy and be very proud of.” 

Through the over one year of planning, city leaders and staff have all discussed how an event like this can bring something of a “higher caliber” to not just Buda, but the region and state as a whole. 

“This has been in the works for a while,” Mayor Pro Tem Evan Ture said. “We’ve already seen that different caliber of a festival both in what y’all have put on in Hutto and with your existing work. Just seeing the quality of the festival you put on, the planning, the safety planning, the preparation and also tied into the community. … [there are] a lot of exciting aspects.” 

“This is something bigger than we’ve done so far, and I think it sets the stage for future events that are bigger and have higher expectations,” council member Paul Daugereau added. 

Keep your calendars marked for Blue Sage Music festival for Nov. 4, 2023.