“We’ve always had donation requests,” says Robb Woulfe, director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. “We’re just a little louder in our ask.” He’s talking about Top of the Park, the hugely popular evening program of free concerts and films on Ingalls Mall that begins on June 12 (see Events, p. 35). Faced with what Woulfe describes as an “astounding” drop in corporate sponsorships, the festival is asking Top visitors to donate $3 per night ($5 per family). It’s also replacing paid staff greeters with volunteers and seeking additional partners to sponsor activities in the Kids’ Zone tent. Above all, Woulfe has his fingers crossed for sunny days. Last summer, chilly weather drove down beverage sales, a big revenue source.
