Pocono News Section

Vanessa Carlton Comes Home to Milford

Vanessa Carlton Comes Home to Milford - Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 11:23PM EST

MILFORD, PIKE COUNTY- She's one of our area's brightest musical stars and this weekend she made a special trip home.
Last year at this time funding for the annual Milford Music Festival was in doubt. But one of the borough's most famous residents came home to make sure the tradition continues.

Organizers are calling her concert one of the biggest events in the community's history. She's a singer, a songwriter and a Grammy-nominated artist. Saturday night Vanessa Carlton came back to her hometown of Milford.

That caused the borough to swell in size. Maria Farrell said, “I think when you have someone who comes back to their hometown to do something, it says something special about that person. It says something about the town."

An estimated 7,000 people filled Milford to catch a glimpse of the singer, best known for her song "A Thousand Miles." Festival organizer Amy Eisenberg said, “It’s the biggest event we've ever had in Milford and everybody’s been on their best behavior."

Carlton's visit and concert is all part of the annual Milford Music Festival. The event has struggled with funding in the past, but you'd never know it. Jessica Rivera said, “Everybody's supporting her. I think that says a lot for the people of Milford, that they would come out and support her and rally around her."

Rally around her and pump money into the economy. Check out the packed streets. Councilman Bo Fean said, “It brings a lot of people into town and we could really use a boost in this economy."

A boost that will hopefully inspire others to learn and appreciate the arts. “I think it’s fabulous. This is a wonderful event to have here in Milford and we're delighted that Vanessa is back here," added Farrell.

While Vanessa Carlton was the headliner for the music festival, the event will continue Sunday. Several other performers will take the stage from 2:00 until 5:00 P. M.