Downtown Driggs Association Inc

TO FOSTER A THRIVING AND VIBRANT DOWNTOWN DRIGGS.

DRIGGS SNOWSCAPES THE ART OF SCULPTING SNOW PARTICIPANTS = 30 ARTISTS. AUDIENCE = 2,500 ON FINALS DAY WITH 4,000 VISITORS OVER THE COURSE OF 4 WEEKS. THE 12TH ANNUAL DRIGGS SNOWSCAPES WAS HELD SHOWCASING WHAT MAKES TETON VALLEY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL, SPECIFICALLY ITS APPRECIATION OF SNOW, LOVE FOR CREATIVITY AND COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATION. DUE TO A LACK OF SNOW DURING THE TRADITIONAL MID-JANUARY TIMING FOR THIS EVENT, DDA MADE THE DECISION TO PUSH THE EVENT BACK TO THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 12 17TH WHICH YIELDED MORE SNOW AND BIG CROWDS. SEVEN TEAMS OF ARTISTS FROM IDAHO, WYOMING, AND OREGON SPENT ONE WEEK COLLABORATIVELY TRANSFORMING 8X8X8 OR 6X6X8 FOOT BLOCKS OF SOLID SNOW INTO LARGER-THAN-LIFE WORKS OF ART. ONE RETURNING TEAM OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ST. ANTHONY, IDAHO CREATED AN EXHIBITION-ONLY SCULPTURE AND WILL GRADUATE TO FULL COMPETITION STATUS NEXT YEAR. 50 LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN VISITED ON FIELD TRIPS DURING THE WEEK. THIS WAS THE SECOND YEAR DDA INCLUDED A QUICK SCULPT EVENT DURING WHICH 8 ARTISTS HAD 2 HOURS TO CARVE A 4 FOOT-TALL SCULPTURE; IT CONTINUES TO BE A POPULAR SNOWSCAPES ADDITION. PROFESSIONAL SCULPTURES WERE ASSESSED BY A TEAM OF 5 JUDGES WHO AWARDED 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD PLACE CASH AWARDS. PEOPLES CHOICE AND KIDS CHOICE AWARDS WERE ALSO ANNOUNCED. THE ANNUAL SNOW BALL ATTRACTED MORE THAN 250 ATTENDEES WHO DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY TO CALLE MAMBO AT THE DRIGGS CITY BUILDING AND SENIOR CENTER..

FISCAL YEAR 2022/23 PROGRAM OVERVIEW IN 2023, DDA DELIVERED 35 PROGRAMS AND HOSTED 284 PROFESSIONAL AND EMERGING ARTISTS INCLUDING PAINTERS, SCULPTORS, ARTISANS, ACTORS AND MUSICIANS FOR IN-PERSON AUDIENCES OF 13,000+, OUR HIGHEST EVER. THE 2023 FACEBOOK REACH WAS 140,259 WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1,969 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS. 346 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS OF ALL AGES SUPPORTED DDAS PROGRAMS IN 2023. WE COLLABORATED WITH 59 LOCAL BUSINESSES PARTNERS AND 25 LOCAL NONPROFIT PROGRAM COLLABORATORS. FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK AND ARTISANS AT DRIGGS PLAZA, 1 X MONTH FROM JUNE - SEPTEMBER PARTICIPANTS =25 ARTISTS. AUDIENCE = 200 PEOPLE OVER 4 MONTHS LOCAL ARTISANS SHOWCASED THEIR WARES IN DRIGGS PLAZA WITH INDIVIDUAL BOOTHS FOR THIS POPULAR COMMUNITY OFFERING AND LOCAL GALLERIES KEPT THEIR DOORS OPEN LATE AND OFFERED DRINKS AND FOOD FOR SHOPPERS. SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK PARTICIPANTS = 12 PROFESSIONAL ACTORS. AUDIENCE = 450 PEOPLE LESS THAN USUAL DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER ON AUGUST 8TH, THE 12TH ANNUAL SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS WAS HELD OUTDOORS AT THE TETON COUNTY COURTHOUSE LAWN IN DRIGGS, PERFORMING ALEXANDER DUMAS SWASHBUCKLING ADVENTURE TALE THE THREE MUSKETEERS. THE STAGE WAS CONSTRUCTED ONSITE AND PLAY PERFORMED BY PROFESSIONAL ACTORS FROM MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS, THE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED OUTREACH PROGRAM OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE AT MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY. DDA MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE THE EVENT FROM DRIGGS PLAZA TO THE COURTHOUSE LAWN DUE TO INCREASED TRAFFIC NOISE ON DRIGGS PLAZA; THE NEW SITE WAS MUCH QUIETER AND EASIER TO HEAR THE ACTORS FOR A MORE PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. DRIGGS SCARECROW CONTEST AND DOWNTOWN TRICK OR TREAT PARTICIPANTS = 47 DRIGGS BUSINESSES. AUDIENCE = 4,000 OVER THE COURSE OF 4 WEEKS DOWNTOWN DRIGGS ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES THE SPIRIT OF THE HARVEST WITH THE 5TH ANNUAL DRIGGS SCARECROW CONTEST, WITH ORIGINAL SCARECROWS CREATED BY LOCAL BUSINESSES AND NON-PROFITS ON-DISPLAY FROM OCTOBER 7 THROUGH OCTOBER 31. FORTY-SEVEN LOCAL BUSINESSES PARTICIPATED, CONSTRUCTING ELABORATE SCENES WITH SCARECROWS DISPLAYED IN FRONT OF THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS. THE COMMUNITY VOTED FOR THEIR FAVORITE FOR 5 THEMATIC CATEGORIES, CASH PRIZES WERE AWARDED TO THE WINNERS. A GRAND TOTAL OF 1,757 VOTES WERE CAST, 669 MORE THAN LAST YEAR. MORE THAN 2000 INDIVIDUALS DRESSED IN THE SCARY, SPARKLY, OR SILLY COSTUMES TO TRICK OR TREAT AT DOWNTOWN DRIGGS BUSINESSES ON HALLOWEEN, OCTOBER 31, WHICH WAS ALSO THE CULMINATING DAY FOR SCARECROW VOTING. NEW: TETON VALLEY CONTRA DANCE, 1ST AND 3RD WEDNESDAYS FROM NOVEMBER 2022 MARCH 2023 PARTICIPANTS = 32 LOCAL MUSICIANS ROTATING ACROSS 5 MONTHS. AUDIENCE = 200 IN 2023. DOWNTOWN DRIGGS ASSOCIATION PARTNERED WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH COALITION OF TETON VALLEY AND TETON VALLEY HEALTH TO BRING CONTRA DANCE TO THE COMMUNITY, OFFERING AN OUTLET FOR CONNECTION AND GOOD HEALTH DURING THE DARKEST TIME OF YEAR. THE DANCE TAKES PLACE AT THE TETON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS EXHIBITION HALL AND HAS GROWN IN ATTENDANCE FOR EACH DANCE. A GROUP OF TALENTED LOCAL MUSICIANS PLAY LIVE TRADITIONAL MUSIC WHILE A CONTRA DANCE CALLER LEADS ATTENDEES THROUGH THE DANCE MOVES.

DRIGGS PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL PARTICIPANTS = 78 ARTISTS FROM 20 STATES AND CANADA AND 32 ARTISTS IN WORKSHOPS. AUDIENCE = 3000+ THE 11TH ANNUAL DRIGGS PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL TOOK PLACE FOR 10 DAYS IN LATE JULY AT THE DRIGGS COMMUNITY CENTER AND PLAZA. ARTISTS DISPLAYED THEIR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER GALLERY AS WELL AS DIGITALLY FOR ONLINE SALES. TWO WORKSHOPS WERE HELD IN PERSON, ALLOWING 32 ARTISTS TO ENJOY LIVE TEACHINGS AND MENTORING. THE COMPETITION WAS JUDGED BY THE WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS. AN OPENING RECEPTION AND CLOSING AWARDS CEREMONY, BOTH WITH A FREE COMMUNITY CONCERT, DREW A LARGE COMMUNITY CROWD AND GENERATED MANY ART SALES.

DOWNTOWN SOUNDS PARTICIPANTS: 20 PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. AUDIENCE 2,670 ATTENDEES. THE 3RD ANNUAL DOWNTOWN SOUNDS CONCERT SERIES INCLUDED 9 CONCERTS HELD AT THREE LOCATIONS ACROSS DRIGGS FROM JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER. THE FIRST CONCERT OF THE SEASON WAS AN INDEPENDENCE DAY KICKOFF EVENT AT DRIGGS PLAZA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TETON COUNTY IDAHO FAIRGROUNDS, FEATURED SISTER KAREE AND THE OTHER BROTHERS, A RENOWNED LOCAL ACT. BATDORF & THE BROTHER WOLF OFFERED ROCK AND BLUES FOR A LARGE AUDIENCE DURING THE OPENING CELEBRATION OF DRIGGS PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL ON JULY 23. WIND SYNC EDUCATIONAL WIND QUINTET OFFERED A SPECIAL FAMILY CONCERT OF PETER AND THE WOLF ON JULY 26, A PERFORMANCE OF INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA FOR 300 LOCAL STUDENTS FROM AREA SUMMER CAMPS ON JULY 27, AND PERFORMED FOR THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF DRIGGS PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL. THE COLORADO CHAMBER OPERA PERFORMED A SERIES OF ENGAGING, CONTEMPORARY MINI OPERAS ON SEPTEMBER 14, AND 15. UK BASED NICOLAS MEIER TRIO TOOK THEIR AUDIENCE ON A MUSICAL TOUR OF THE MIDDLE EAST AT WARBIRDS CAF ON SEPTEMBER 16.