By Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Nearly 800,000 people walked though the gates of Tall Stacks during the five-day event - almost matching 1995's record number of 850,000, The Greater Cincinnati Tall Stacks Commission announced Wednesday.

Tall Stacks President Peter D. Gomsak Jr. credited the music lineup for part of the festival's success.

"The Tall Stacks Music Arts & Heritage Festival was indeed the most successful yet," Gomsak said.

"The new event generated an overwhelming response from local residents and regional visitors. The riverboats, music festival and expanded children's programs helped to make Tall Stacks an exciting five days for this community."

Tall Stacks' appearance on the river in 1999 was hindered by a rainy opening and soggy finale, attracting 660,000 people during its five-day run. In 1995, about 850,000 people attended Tall Stacks, generating more than $32 million in tourism revenue.

This year, musicians including B.B. King, Emmylou Harris and Nickel Creek attracted thousands of listeners to the fifth homage the city has paid to its steamboating past since 1988.

Mayor Charlie Luken said events like Tall Stacks help to reintroduce suburbanites to downtown and the Riverfront - where they're discovering that the city is making slow but steady progress.

Luken said a lot of people deserve credit for Tall Stacks, but "the one person who isn't getting enough credit is God."

Temperatures for the four days were in the 60s and low 70s.

According to the Tall Stacks Commission:

• Visitors enjoyed more than 120 live musical performances, including 30 national headline performers.

• Riverboat cruise tickets were a sellout, with 117,000 sold.

• Cruise ticket sales to groups increased 30 percent.

• About 60,000 children participated in Sawyertown educational activities.

Luken said he'd like to see the event repeated more often -- with or without the riverboats.

He agreed with Gomsak that the music was a primary attraction.

"For most people who went to Tall Stacks, the boats were just the backdrop," Luken said.

E-mail scoolidge@enquirer .com