SEQUIM — A group of business leaders led by a former Everett events coordinator hope that a balloon festival will lift the Sequim economy.
Randy Tomaras — a Sequim resident and commercial photographer who previously organized the Everett centennial celebration, which included a hot-air balloon festival — proposes two concurrent events in September 2012:
— The balloon festival Sept. 1-3.
— Accompanying tourist-drawing events during the “Best 10 Days in Washington” from Sept. 1-10, a reference to the best weather period in the region, statistically speaking.
Bret Wirta, owner of Holiday Inn Express in Sequim, who voiced confidence in Tomaras for his past history in events coordination, said he believes the festival could fly.
“It’s not just going to be balloon festival,” Wirta said. “There are going to be a lot of related pieces.”
The balloon festival is proposed on 40 acres owned by Fred Grant, which is leased to dairy hay farmer Troy Smith, just west of Purple Haze Lavender Farm and between East Washington Street and West Sequim Bay Road.
“It’s real good property because the wind goes along quicker in the Strait [of Juan de Fuca], then turns the corner on Sequim Bay” and is in a more protected pocket, Wirta explained.
The event will be formally announced Aug. 24 with balloons and other attractions on display, Tomaras said.
“Basically, it came up because of the economy, and I said ‘What can we do to build things up.’ — we need new business,” said Tomaras.
“Particularly the artists need this. This is something for the artists.”
Tomaras figures the events could draw up to 30,000 people over 10 days.
“I’m very confident that if Randall can work out the logistics, it’s going to be a wonderful, wonderful festival,” Wirta said.
Wirta said the event would precede the popular Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, giving people something to do inland from the water and enjoy the North Olympic Peninsula’s reaches further west.
Tomaras, executive director for the project, has lived in Sequim six years.
“The idea is let’s all work together,” he said.
A steering committee of diverse business leaders in Clallam County and the Dungeness Valley has been formed.
“Basically, I just want to get everybody in the community involved,” Tomaras said. “It’s something that’s going to help our entire economy.”
A couple who owns a hot-air balloon repair business in Redmond, Mandy and Vic Johnson, agreed to organized the balloonists.
“We have about 60 balloonists in Washington,” Tomaras said. “We’re looking to get about 20 of them this first year.”
“If the wind picks up past 10 mph or if it rains, the balloons typically do not go up,” Tomaras said, as a safety precaution.
Shelli Robb-Kahler, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce executive director and a member of the festival steering committee, said she believes the event could extend the tourism season.
“I definitely think it has great possibilities of being another amazing festival . . . because it would be very unique,” she said.
“There’s a lot of work that has to be put into it. But I think it’s great that somebody has the desire to do it.”
Mayor Ken Hays, whose home would be within eyeshot of the floating balloons, called it “an interesting idea.”
“I think I’d love to see more stuff like that happen in Sequim,” the mayor said.
“We need more year-round stuff.
“I would certainly support it as a businessman.
“I would think that our council would support anything like that.”
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
