Neighbors not griping much about Made in America festival

Tens of thousands of people turned out to see Beyonce, Nine Inch Nails and other big names at this weekend’s Budweiser Made in America music festival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Philadelphia city officials say it was a success. But what did neighbors think?

Bruce Butler, president of the Fairmount Civic Association, said things were better than last year’s debut festival, but not perfect. He said the sound spilled out of the festival.

“You could hear it, for sure, outside the fenced boundaries,” he said. “Without a doubt.”

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The good news is that neighbors, who really weren’t thrilled with the inaugural festival last year, haven’t complained to him so far about the noise.

But some have expressed concern that a for-profit show was held on public property.

“The Budweiser people, Made in America people were actually closing off public property and people were having to pay pretty high fees to get in and benefit from the concert,” Butler said.

City officials argue that Made in America attracts tourists and helps boost Philadelphia’s image.

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