Classic attendance likely doubled this year

BY David Hotle, The JOURNAL

Between the bands, the food and the area high school alumni events, Washington Chamber of Commerce director Michelle Redlinger believes the attendance at Flightline Live, the concert event of Summer Classic, doubled the number of people who normally attended the event.

Redlinger said today that during Flightline Live many of the vendors ran out of supplies. While she said all the events during the four-day celebration had gone well, she believed the biggest change was to Flightline Live. She said during the previous three years the event had been held, about 300 people attended. This year, initial estimates are somewhere between 600 and 700 people attended. Redlinger said all the events of Summer Classic this year were well attended.

?It went awesome,? Redlinger said. ?There was a rain at the beginning of the week that had us a little nervous. I think that led to a little high heat. We were able to survive the high heat and everyone came out to the festivities.?

She said she is grateful people are continuing to come out and support the Chamber.

When the event kicked off with Ag Day Thursday, Redlinger said the events had gone well. She had heard people in the crowd saying they had been part of the annual tractor parade and hadn?t been before. She said it was a great chance to show off the ag community.

She said Family Day on Friday tends to be a bit more quiet than the other days. Still, she said the events were well attended. Redlinger said there had been a large group of young people who attended the children?s events throughout the day. She also said the Main Street Washington showing of ?Free Willy? in Central Park was very well attended. She said Family Day is one day the chamber is interested in finding some more community partners to provide additional events.

The 70th annual running of Ridiculous Day provided a steady crowd downtown, Redlinger said. She said some years there is more of a rush, but because the weather was so consistant there was a steady stream of people attending the downtown vendors? events and sales. There had been plenty of participants in the superhero and princess contests and many participants for the 1,000 ducks in the fountain event.

?We might need to do some bandaging of our ducks,? Redlinger said. ?Some of them are getting some duck fatigue from the past four years and some of them are only half ducks now.?

She said the parade was well attended, although there had been fewer entries.

The Noche Latino event this year was coordinated by the new group Latinos for Washington. Redlinger said the turnout to the square was great. She said there were some new performers this year and the food during the event is always great.

Next year, Redlinger plans to have a staff person to help her. She also hopes the Summer Classic committees can get stronger and more empowered and can manage more of the events.

?I?d like to see the community really take ownership and get the events out there,? she said.