SunFest is a musical and art festival held annually in the first week of May in

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...

. SunFest is the state's largest waterfront music and art festival in Florida and attracts more than 100,000 visitors. Main attractions of this festival are the three stages featuring live music with a diverse array of musical styles including Pop,

Hip-Hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

, R&B,

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, Bluegrass,

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

, Folk, Electronic, EDM, and Americana.

History

The first SunFest in 1982 was a 10-day festival. The organizers incurred a debt that took three years to pay off, so they reduced the festival to three days in 1984. In 1986, its organizers decided to charge a $2 admission, and the event spanned five days by 1992. As of 2014, admission costs $25 at the gate, and its budget has expanded from $280,000 in 1984 to $2.2 million. The 1991 festival had the biggest crowd ever with 345,000 people. For 2018, the festival was reduced back to four days. Some "SunFestivies" available at Sunfest are the Battle of the Bands, floating themed bars, the TGi5k and Art District. In the Art District you can immerse yourself in live artist demonstrations and performances. A crowd favorite is the ending firework show which captivates you and leaves you excited for the next SunFest. The many SunFestivites can vary by year.

Organizational history

SunFest was founded in 1982 by SunFest of Palm Beach Country Inc. This corporation consists of twenty-five board members, twenty-five committees, and more than eighty sponsors. One of these sponsors, the "''Palm Beach Cultural Council''," funds SunFest Music Festival annually as a way to promote art and culture in Palm Beach County. Other funders who have helped create the festival include the state of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and Florida Arts Council. These funders have allowed SunFest to be a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization. SunFest Music Festival has received a lot of referrals from the Palm Beach Cultural Council's executive director Will Ray.

References

{{coord, 26.712, -80.050, type:event_region:US-FL, display=title Music festivals in Florida Tourist attractions in Palm Beach County, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida 1982 establishments in Florida Recurring events established in 1982