Locals eat up at new Edible Festival

Organizers of the Incredible Edible Festival said the event was a success.

 

Christy Rookard, committee chairman for the festival, said she received positive comments from everyone she talked with about the event.

 

“Being a first-year event is somewhat of a risk for some people, but vendors and attendees were already talking about next year,” Rookard said. “They really liked the idea.”

 

The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce put on the event with 34 vendors providing food, drinks and/or treats. Most vendors were Sequim businesses.

 

Vickie Maples, executive director of the chamber, said there were about 500 people and about half the tickets were sold in advance. Attendees who bought tickets beforehand received seven food tickets rather than five.

 

“I was impressed by the number of people, considering it was a beautiful day and the Dungeness River Festival was going on,” Rookard said. “There was a steady flow the entire time. For the first year, this was great.”

 

The festival raised $659 for the Sequim Food Bank through the Empty Bowls Project.

 

Organizers said the plan all along was to make the festival an annual event.

 

The second Incredible Edible Festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011.

 

For more information on chamber events, call 683-6197.