Aquafest Back On...But Don't Get Your Hopes Up

Low on morale and short on solutions (no carnival!), Aquafest's all-volunteer board confirms that the city's signature summer festival will indeed take place July 26 - 28.

“Not even sure what next year looks like. Many of the event chairs are not coming back, I think we’re all tired of getting beat up for all of our hard work we do as a volunteer on this board. If the community really was concerned, they would fill all the board and event seats. Sadly that never happens and we all work longer days, and get told what a bad event. Personally I would like to experience the event as a resident and not give up my entire weekend and take (personal time off) from work to help put this on.”

- Aquafest Vice President Chris Jacobsen, the event’s most senior organizer as the president position remains vacant. 

LAKE STEVENS - Aquafest 2024 is back on for the last weekend in July. But don’t get your hopes up and be sure to thank the board for what you get.

That’s the message coming from Lake Stevens Aquafest organizers, a group apparently brow-beaten into submission by a general public unwilling to stomach a second cancellation of the event in four years. 

After initially postponing the event, citing construction along Main Street, Aquafest organizers decided to move forward with a scaled-down version of the city’s summer staple.

But before you get too excited, the board is managing expectations both now and in the future, citing attrition amongst volunteer board members, logistical and booking difficulties ranging from pandemic after-effects to insurance concerns to inflation and…well, you get the point. 

“Aquafest barely has the budget to operate for the three days we have planned. With the continued development of downtown Lake Stevens and plans for three more buildings to be built, the current footprint will only be reduced in the years to come, making space for a carnival no longer viable, and parking will become even more of a challenge,” a May 8 release reads. 

Traditional events like the Friday Children’s Parade, the Saturday Grand Parade and the Boat Parade appear to be a go – and the event pages for the Kids and Grand parades