As summer heats up and pandemic restrictions relax, rural communities are gently phasing back some of their much loved tradition that form a framework to bring local families together. And they need your help to make them a success.

“We moved here ten years ago when we decided to settle down and raise a family, “ reminisced Katelyn Green, an Allyn resident, “We saw an ad in the Tribune for Forest Festival and decided to attend the parade. We loved it. It just felt so right. I told my husband that when we had kids we wanted to be a part of a small town where people worked together to create simple joy. You don’t realize how important that stuff is until it’s not in your life. I’m so excited to be involved as all the events get going again after COVID.”

It isn’t easy. Amid the uncertainty, the fear, and a lack of knowledge on how much effort and planning goes into hosting even the simplest of events – it is a difficult path to clear. Preparations include garnering sponsors, securing entertainment and vendors, organizing permits and insurance and a whole lot of financial outlay – all amid a cloud of “will we be able to pull it off” as volunteers struggle with their own challenges of kids schooling at the kitchen table and jobs moved remotely – or lost.

In 2020 the waves of disappointment and uncertainty were diminished for some as they assured themselves that it was “just for one year” but as the pandemic rolled into 2021 with just as much vigor, many events faced the reality of being canceled a second year in a row. An alternative to complete cancelation was modification, postponement – or both.

Mason County’s Forest Festival was one such situation. Seventy-seven years of history is difficult to silence. From the start of the pandemic in 2020 when it became obvious that their late spring event was heading for cancellation, volunteers explored every option possible to provide some of the traditions of the event to the community even though it didn’t include group gathering. Finally, in late July they accepted defeat and resolved to be back in 2021. However, 2021 wasn’t much better for planning an event in May.

“It was difficult not to be sad,” remarked the 2020 Queen of the Forest, Grace Renecker, “ I’d dreamt of being queen since I was young. It probably seems like a weird dream to some, but Forest Festival is such a huge part of my family’s history here. It was such an honor.” Despite the disappointment, Grace proudly represented her court online and in virtual appearances, “it was a hard year for so many families. I’m glad I got the opportunity to represent the festival and to keep everyone’s spirits up when it was needed most! ”

Other local events faced the same reality in 2020. OysterFest, the largest event in the county, attempted an online version as did Hoodstock and the Salmon Center’s Music from the Estuary (MOTE). Fjord Crossin, Allyn Days, Old Timers Fair in Matlock and Bluegrass from the Forest were amongst the many that decided to wait it out.

Historically, the Mason County Forest Festival occurs the weekend after Memorial Day. The Forest Festival Coronation was held in March with a hybrid live and virtual event. Owing to the sheer size of the crowds, the Paul Bunyan Grand Parade was rescheduled for September 18 with the optimism that they could gather again by the fall. The volunteer group is looked at options modeling smaller cell events to continue to celebrate Forest Festival throughout the summer in which the 2021 court would be able to participate and share the message of Forest Festival.

Pivoting is the key word for events this season. The much anticipated Bluegrass From The Forest, normally held in May, also strategized engaging ways to bring back the event in 2021. Annually attracting over 3500 people to Shelton for a weekend festival of national bluegrass performers, workshops, picking, and jamming, organizers determined to reformat the event for an open air festival in September.

The new reality, at least until the pandemic is but a memory, is it is essential to find innovative solutions to enhance the event experiences for attendees. The pre-covid model for many large festivals was quantity of attendees providing revenue to fund entertainment, set up and amenities. Re-thinking this mindset is causing issues for events that experienced exploding overhead in the last decade but were able to remain viable as gate revenue and income from food and alcohol sales increased. Unless these events are able to reshape their identity and at least ride through 2021 in a modified form – they are facing cancelation again.

Convincing the public to understand and be patient through these changes is proving to be the biggest challenge. With the lack of eye contact online to make one accountable for comments, social media has led to an explosion of rudeness that has become an epidemic itself.

"People feel they have to share their opinions on everything, everywhere, at all times, even if backed up by scant knowledge," says Danny Wallace, author of the book F*** You Very Much: The Surprising Truth About Why People Are So Rude. "And then they have to broadcast that opinion, importantly, and in a forthright manner so that they cut through the noise. Rudeness cuts through.” (psychologytoday.com)

As we head out of this difficult period and transition to our new normal, take a moment to examine motivations. Why did you move to a small town to raise your children? Is the health of your community important to you? How much time can you spare to volunteer or help? If you don’t have any time, can you offer support in any other way? Perhaps simply sharing what you do enjoy with your friends and family is enough.

As our local event volunteers work hard behind the scenes to navigate through rebuilding traditions, practice kindness, appreciation, tolerance. If that’s too hard. Be quiet.

Non-profit events run on passion – embrace it.