Leesburg has spent $337,423 in preparation for the 2024 Leesburg Bikefest.
City Manager Al Minner recently briefed the city’s commissioners on Bikefest, which will run from April 26 through 28.
The city ended its relationship with the Leesburg Partnership last July when the Partnership shut down as attendance for the festival had fallen off after the COVID pandemic. The commissioners voted to take over the management of the festival and hired a special events manager, Maggie Lynden.
The city budgeted $500,000 for the event and has collected $273,900 from sponsorship and vendor registration fees. Minner said Bikefest is “moving forward in a positive direction.”
The city will also collect a portion of the revenue generated by the sale of beverages and novelties. The city received $250,000 from the Leesburg Partnership when that group dissolved last year. Those funds were put into a special events category and will be used if the anticipated revenue does not meet meet the actual costs.
The single largest expenditure has been for entertainment:
• $150,850 for bands
• $3,600 for the Full Throttle bike show
• $16,900 for stage management
• $250 for the motorcycle drill team
