Nobody has offered up a good reason why the 175 couldn't confine their event to a Saturday/Sunday. Hmmmm..
The day of the week was not a deciding factor for me. One day out of school is not going destroy my kids academic achievement. parents take their kids out of school all the time for a variety of reasons that they think are important. Taking off for a college visit is even considered a legeal absence. Nobody is being forced to miss school here. There are many showcase options, this one worked well for many people.