Many summer festivals and events in the Inland Northwest have recovered from the challenges caused by the COVID pandemic.
Kathy Podmayer from the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival says her organization’s four-day event in mid-June was a big hit.
“We moved into the Methow Valley Community Center in the center of Twisp and people were very happy to have it in the middle of town as opposed to at a ranch out of town," she said.
Around the same time, the Founders Day event sponsored by Re*Imagine Medical Lake was also drawing big crowds, says Re*Imagine secretary Ryan Grant.
“This year’s Founders Day was maybe the best we’ve ever had. We counted about four thousand people. Our new stage that we have has been a real success," he said.
Both credit grants from the Washington Department of Commerce for helping them to stay afloat during lean times, when they were unable to hold their signature events. Re*Imagine Medical Lake collected a $15,000 grant last November. The Methow Valley festival was awarded nearly $21,000. Overall, the agency says it gave out more than three million dollars to 200 civic organizations in 36 counties.
“You just look at some of these little community festivals that have been hanging on by a thread for volunteers anyway and then COVID came along," Grant said. "I think Re*Imagine would have always made sure that Founders Day would have happened, but having the backstop there with the grant program to help us get through some of the stuff, it made a difference.”
Kathy Podmayer says the grant helped the Methow Valley festival cover the costs of moving into town and with other expenses.
“Finding a place to store our stuff. Finding a new executive director, paying them. And then whatever was left, putting it toward the actual festival program," she said.
Several other eastern Washington organizations also received state grants, including the Okanogan, Ferry County and Wheat Land Communities fairs, TwispWorks and the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts in Leavenworth.
