APPLETON, Wis.–Fox Communities CU has agreed to become the presenting sponsor of the Mile of Music here, a festival that launched in 2013.
Mile of Music, which will announce details of the Festival next week at OuterEdge Stage as part of its annual Countdown to Mile Week/First Fifty lineup reveal and noontime concert event, is in the middle of finalizing sponsors and artists for the four-day celebration of original music this summer. It will be the seventh festival – dubbed Mile 7 – and is set for Aug. 1 – 4 throughout Downtown Appleton, according to the organizations.
Dave Willems, president of Willems Marketing & Events, the producer of Mile of Music, said the agreement with Fox Communities Credit Union not only helps secure the free festival’s future but also helps boost The Mile’s continuing efforts to build Downtown Appleton’s reputation as a leading destination for live original music.
In a statement, he said the decision by Fox Communities to greatly expand its commitment and move into the Presenting Sponsor role is significant for a community-modeled, grassroots festival that continues to defy the odds by offering free access.
Other Festival Sponsorship
The overall commitment from Fox Communities includes the opportunity to continue its lead sponsorship role for subsequent festivals, Willems noted, but is also significant in that it puts a big, bright bow on what’s already been a strong collaboration. He said Fox Communities was the first company to lend its support in the Spring of 2013 when he approached them to help establish a dedicated civic checking account for Mile of Music through Willems Marketing.
The organizations said another big piece of the collaboration to date has been Fox’s launch of the Bike to the Beat event back in 2016, which has become wildly popular. Offering live music as a backdrop to the community bike ride, Track 4 of Bike to the Beat will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3 and is expected to again host 3,500-plus bike riders of all ages, “adding to the overall vibe of Mile Weekend.”
‘A Shining Example’
“Mile of Music continues to be a shining example of how our communities within the Greater Appleton and Fox Cities community work so productively together,” said Cathy Harvath, vice president of marketing for Fox Communities Credit Union. “We’re excited to expand our commitment to such a magical, organic blending of the artist and business communities along with the non-profit and municipal sectors, all of whom knock it out of the park each August to make something very special happen.”
The $1.3-billion Fox Communities Credit has more than103,000 members.