Who sells beer at the event? The years I attended, it was never Main Street. They sold primarily wine and alternative drinks instead of good ol' beer. Wine sells poorly on overcast or cold days, which makes event profits unstable year-to-year.
They might avoid the entrance fee if Main Street becomes the only seller of alcohol (namely beer). That's where the lion share of profit is to be found (or so I was told by the man who organized the event the most number of years... it would have been controversial to take over beer sales. Now I think, it would have been less controversial than an admission fee.).
Re: “Meet Dan Johnson”
This man keeps taking a bath in the news media, and he comes out dirtier each time. This matter could have been resolved months ago if he had offered an immediate and sincere apology. The depth of the problem is now obvious thanks to the Journal's reporting. The quotes in this article stir up great concern for me.