Why one Gwinnett city dropped $350K to bring in big-name musical acts
The city of Sugar Hill has a not-so-unofficial mantra these days: “Go big or go home.”
And with that in mind, the city will plop down nearly $350,000 this summer to bring big-name musical acts — legendary rock-and-rollers Collective Soul, alternative star Ben Folds and country singer Josh Turner among them — to its cozy municipal amphitheater, the so-called Bowl at Sugar Hill.
The price tag, which will be offset in part by ticket sales and sponsorships, is a hefty one for the northern Gwinnett County city of about 22,000 people.
But the whole “go big” thing isn’t just bravado. It’s part of a grander vision — and a marketing mission.
“We are building a world-class downtown, and branding our community around engagement and entertainment,” Sugar Hill Mayor Steve Edwards said. “Our Bowl is a key part of this branding success.”
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Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
