SoCo LoCo
Published 11:17 am Monday, March 3, 2008
LYNNWOOD — SoCo LoCo. What is it? A new fashion boutique? Luxury car model? Rare bird?
Guess again. SoCo LoCo is the name of the newest festival in Lynnwood, which starts today at the Alderwood mall west parking lot.
The South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce hopes the nonsensical name is the start of a new tradition.
“We realize (the name) is a little off beat and we’ll have to explain for a while what it means,” said Stacy Vance, programs development manager at the chamber. “It’s dynamic. It’s cool. It’s punctuated. It’s short. It has a good vibe to it. We can create a brand and identity to that.”
What the chamber is trying to create is a fun, family-friendly event that will delight people and boost the chamber’s public profile.
“We have the capability to do a lot for the community as a whole. This is one way to start,” she said.
Weird name aside, the three-day festival has many familiar elements: live music, arts and crafts vendors, children’s games, beer garden and food. It all happens at 33rd Avenue W. and 188th Street SW. (See Out &About section for details.)
Local amateur entertainers will compete at noon Sunday, Aug. 27, in a “Lynnwood Idol” contest — similar to the popular television show and the Aug. 12 “Edmonds Idol” contest during the Taste of Edmonds. Lynnwood Idol will be judged by Linda Zopfi, a talent booker for Zopfi Productions; Craig Cooke, owner of Pacific Rim Talent, and L. J. Porter, a professional blues singer.
The event is not a fundraiser for the chamber or a charity. Any proceeds will be invested into next year’s SoCo LoCo festival, according to the chamber.
The chamber’s greatest challenge is creating SoCo LoCo from scratch, but the group is getting help from some seasoned volunteers.
Lynnwood resident Bill Vance, who chaired the Taste of Edmonds and SeaFair in recent years, stepped in as SoCo LoCo’s festival chair. He ran unsuccessfully for Lynnwood mayor in 2005.
Vance recently retired from Qwest Communications as a regional cable maintenance supervisor so he has the time and expertise to share, he said.
“We really need something fun like this for the city and this is going to be a good one,” said Bill Vance, who is Stacy’s father.
Lifelong festival volunteer Becky Janecke of Lynnwood agrees that the city needs a festival of its own. SoCo LoCo can help fill that need, but Lynnwood needs something more, something unique, she said.
“I would like to see Lynnwood have a huge success in something that has never been done. This is a unique city,” said Janecke. “There is somebody out there has a bright idea and I wish they would come forward because there are people who would back it.”
The Multi-Cultural Fair coordinated by the Family Support Center of South Snohomish County is one example, Janecke said. The April showcase of ethnic art and culture does not permit any commercial sales except for some food vendors.
Other Lynnwood festivals including Pioneer Parade and the Heritage Festival have come and gone over the years because of a lack of funding or manpower, Janecke said. The Junior Chamber of Commerce organized Lynn-O-Rama in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Janecke and her husband, George, lead the most recent effort, Trolley Days, between 1996 and 1999. The August festival, which featured a parade, children’s parade, fun run, live music and a picnic at Wilcox Park, ended because of a lack of funding, she said.
“Lynnwood has great spirit,” Janecke said. “We have really tried. It just hasn’t clicked.”
Bill Vance said it will take a team effort by the chamber, the sponsors, partners and volunteers to make SoCo LoCo a success.
For the festival committee, Bill Vance recruited longtime festival volunteers and friends, Craig Cooke of Edmonds and Ed Shields of Renton, who also worked on Taste of Edmonds and SeaFair.
For SoCo LoCo, Shields is in charge of facilities and Cooke is taking care of sponsorships, entertainment and children’s area.
“We are there to take care of the nuts and bolts of a good family festival and let the people of Lynnwood have a good time,” Vance said.
The chamber also tapped Edmonds resident Bob McMahon as beer garden chair, Seattle resident Rosemary Heckman as food booth chair and Bothell resident Theresa Poalucci as marketing chair. Kathy Jacobson, the chamber’s events and communications manager, and Stacy Vance are coordinating volunteers and other logistics.
“It is going to be a great weekend,” Stacy Vance said. “We have a lot to offer. It is a unique event, with a unique location, with a really unique name. And we hope folks will come out and see what South Snohomish County has to offer.”
