Coast River Business Journal
NEWS
Crab Fest success Chamber event draws some 16,000-18,000 visitors
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by Felicia Struve Coast River Business Journal
STORIA – Organizers are deeming the 30th-annual Crab Fest a success. Some 16,000 to 18,000 people wined and dined April 27-29 during the AstoriaWarrenton Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds. “Compared to last year, we believe attendance was down slightly,” said Chamber event coordinator Alana Kujala. “This being said, we are very happy with the amount of money spent by those who did attend this year’s event. “We have heard positive feedback from our Chamber-member hotels, motels and campgrounds regarding another festival weekend with high occupancy.” Chamber director Skip Hauke said, “This is typically a slow time of year, so we appreciate the feedback from local business and the high occupancy at our hotels. This event brings money into our businesses and local nonprofit organizations to get them through until the summer season.” Sixteen of the 172 vendors were nonprofits. Six other nonprofits provided services such as meeting buses, directing traffic or trash removal. The Chamber paid the nonprofits for those services to ensure there was someone overseeing the less-glamorous jobs and to provide a fundraising opportunity for nonprofit Chamber members. “Between the profit made through individual vendor sales and the money we used to hire groups
The 2012 Crab Fest drew between 16,000 and 18,000 people April 27-29 to sample local seafood and regional wines at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds. Courtesy photos
to provide a service during the event, we believe approximately $88,000 went directly into local nonprofit organizations in Clatsop County and southwest Washington,” Hauke said. A variety of businesses and individuals donated their time to the Crab Festival, said Kujala. Among the largest contributors, she said, were Wadsworth Electric and the Clatsop County Fairgrounds. The Chamber keeps vendor fees and admissions fees to put on the event and fund the Chamber. “The profit from the event goes a long way to fund the operations costs for the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce,” Hauke said.
June 2012 • Page 11