The local man behind a first-of-a-kind dance music festival in Jefferson City over the weekend said the event was "awesome" despite a lower-than-expected turnout.
Sensationblu was held Saturday night around the North Jefferson City park pavilion. It brought in some of the top DJs and mixologists, billing itself as a "unique fusion of ambiance, decor, exciting party music, electrifying interactive DJs, delicious food and ... fantastic drink mixes."
Attendees paid $25 for general admission tickets and $80 for VIP tickets.
"It as awesome in the sense of production, lighting, music and food. Perfect in that regard. In terms of crowd support, it wasn't as good as I had hoped it would have been," said Dave Julius, who describes himself as the event designer.
"We got DJ Diamond, the No. 1 DJ in the USA. She brought tremendous energy. She's really good," said Julius, a Jamaican native who lives in Jefferson City.
He said around 200 people attended, and he had hoped for about 500. But he said it's a good start for what he intends to be an annual event.
He said there were no incidents with fights, drugs or other criminal elements, and he worked with the Jefferson City Police Department to ensure that went smoothly from their perspective. He said he made it clear while promoting the event that it was a high-class event, and those looking to get drunk, stoned or rowdy weren't welcome.
A JCPD sergeant on Sunday said he didn't know of any incidents stemming from the event.
Julius said he scaled back some of the features he had planned for the event - including helicopter tours of the city, horse-drawn carriage rides and fireworks - but he hopes some of those will be added in the future.
Even after scaling back the event to limit his losses, Julius acknowledges he still lost money. But he said that's expected for a first-time event.
But he said the core features of the event were perfect, as was the location, across the river from the Capitol.
For next year's event, he said, he just needs to get the word out better. He plans to do that soon by posting pictures and video of this year's event on social media.
Meanwhile, he said he hopes the city is pleased with his marketing of Sensationblu as a high-class event in a high-class city.
"I wouldn't want to bring shame to the city," he said. "Just good vibes."