The Review Magazine : May-June 2022

City Manager Melissa Marsh says that Trail Tunes started in 2020, “the year of COVID,” to “connect the community in a safe and fun way outdoors.” Both Marsh and Bliss explain that the event was completely run, and funded, by volunteers. Marsh adds that “every dollar fundraised went into paying musicians that, at the time, may not have been booking other places.” Of course, the pandemic presented challenges, but Marsh says that [Trail Tunes] was a success because it was “created for attendees of all ages and provided food and music, things most of us love.” It was known right away that Trail Tunes would become a regular event, and when Madison Heights set out to recreate the event in 2021, they knew what was needed to make it an even greater success. With further knowledge about how to stay safe, both the Arts Board and community members were even more confident taking part in the event the second time around. The increased level of comfort and understanding around pandemic protocols allowed for more time and resources to go toward “making the festival better” in 2021, Bliss adds. What makes Trail Tunes unique is not that it is an outdoor music festival, but rather that it fosters an added level of connection between attendees and musicians. Attendees may walk through the entirety of Madison Heights’ Civic

Center Park, on a path that allows for social distancing and the chance to watch a variety of musicians “up close” along the way. Without stages, attendees can see some of the best musicians in the area in a more informal

setting. Musicians and attendees alike can simply enjoy the surroundings of Civic Center Park and experience the joy of music. By 2021, Bliss shares that the Arts Board was able to elevate the event with “more bands, double the attendance, and [the addition of] a family fun area with games, face painting, and even circus performers.” Plus, there were more food trucks and support from local businesses. Since the memories of Trail Tunes in 2020 are tied to a time when all events had been shut down, the festival has “a special place in the hearts of [the] community,” Bliss adds. As the festival has quickly become an annual gathering for the community, it continues to “remind [them] of how far they have come.”

14

14 THE REVIEW

MAY / JUNE 2022