Music festival's organizers deserve praise

One of the more successful events in Cape Girardeau that shows signs of growing bigger and better in the years to come is the River City Music Festival which drew about 3,500 paying customers at the end of last month, nearly a 20 percent increase over the year before.

In the five years the festival has been held, various formats and dates have been tried. This year's event included the addition of a stage on a barge in the Mississippi River, which drew appreciative fans not only to enjoy the music, but also to enjoy the river.

Organizers of the festival deserve a special vote of appreciation for the hard work both in planning the event and in making sure it went off virtually without a hitch in spite of the uncertainties of the weather.

Next year's River City Music Festival already is scheduled for the last weekend in September. With the success of the event so far, grateful music fans can look forward to another good time in Cape Girardeau.