It’s been a busy week in Edmonds preparing for an expected 100,000-plus crowd and putting the finishing touches on a $350,000 event.
City and Chamber of Commerce officials, police and fire officials, coordinators and vendors all are checking off their last-minute ‘to do’ lists as the annual Taste of Edmonds begins today, Friday, Aug. 13. This year’s event will mark the 22nd annual Taste of Edmonds.
The past few days have been filled with safety checks, site set-up, numerous phone calls and making sure everything from public toilets to main stage performers are in order, city officials said.
Still, those involved are keeping cool.
“We’re pretty much following an established pattern,” Edmonds Chamber of Commerce executive director Chris Guitton. “We are so used to running it that we are just very excited.”
Edmonds fire chief Tom Tomberg added, “It’s a big event for the city, but it’s not something that will overwhelm us. It’s a really friendly crowd.”
The Edmonds Fire Department’s inspector on Friday will make sure all the food preparation areas at the event are in compliance with code, Tomberg said. In addition, fire prevention checks will be done throughout the venue and the emergency vehicles in the nearby fire station will be turned around to exit the east doors to avoid the crowd in case of an emergency.
Police officials, Jones said, “really don’t have to do anything except show up” before the event.
During the year, however, Edmonds police create a special event plan to address the logistics of the event, including how many people they expect and what kind of impact that could have on the city. At the event, overtime officers will watch over the beer garden and surrounding areas, Jones said.
Staff at the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce said they have spent the past few days making sure the infrastructure of the event is ready to go, helping vendors settle in, contacting media, coordinating with police and fire officials … and planning for next year’s Taste?
“Planning starts a year ahead,” Guitton confirmed. “We’re already making plans for next year.”
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