The Newcastle Community Activities Commission set final logistics for Newcastle Days at its Aug. 20 meeting, assigning a parade coordinator, confirming the vendor lineup and event programming, and asking the public to fill dozens of volunteer shifts ahead of the Sept. 4 celebration. Chair Nathan Sticks, chair of the Community Activities Commission, opened the meeting and led discussion on the event schedule and staffing needs.

Why it matters: Newcastle Days is the commission’s largest annual public event, bringing vendors, performances, a car show and family activities to city parks. Staff and commissioners said adequate volunteer staffing and parking management are essential to keep the event running smoothly and to reduce traffic and vendor load-in problems seen at prior events.

Commission and staff reported confirmed event elements and outstanding logistics. Amy (events and recreation staff) said the event has “confirmed over 60 booths,” including “12 government nonprofits,” “12 artists,” “19 sponsors,” and “25 business slash general.” She detailed a slate of performers and activities: high-school choirs and marching bands (Hazen and Liberty were named), a car show (about 100 cars last year; staff hope to accommodate about 150 this year), a pickleball tournament running from about 8 a.m. to noon, a beer garden organized under Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board rules, a cemetery open house hosted by the Newcastle Historical Society from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (tour at 2 p.m.), and community booths such as the Newcastle Arts Council and King County Library.

Commissioners discussed volunteer staffing and assignments. Amy asked commissioners to staff a municipal booth in two-person shifts and proposed one-hour increments; Commissioner Kim Vanetta was identified as parade coordinator and commissioners agreed it is helpful to have two people at the booth at a time. Amy said the city had 55 volunteer shifts across Friday and Saturday and that “just before this meeting, 17 of those 55 are filled.” Commissioners agreed to a staff-created spreadsheet to capture shift sign-ups and agreed to hand-drawn maps for vendor load-in directions to reduce confusion.

Parking and load-in were recurring topics. Commissioners and staff said many vendors and performer groups arrive early, creating congestion at vendor load-in; staff said they are trying to reserve the Risen parking lots and encourage vendor carpooling and staged arrivals. The commission discussed alternatives for the largest performing groups (marching band) such as staging at City Hall and walking into the park.

Vendor support, sponsors and hospitality. Commissioners and staff described sponsorship placement and on-site sponsor checks. Amy said staff and commissioners will divide sponsor check-ins the day of the event. Donations and logistics for event refreshments were discussed: staff noted existing donated supplies (about eight cases of water, QFC 20 bags of ice previously donated, and a plan for coffee/donuts) and asked commissioners for assistance with securing additional items or arranging pickups.

Swag and vendor goodwill. The commission debated whether to assemble vendor “swag bags.” Staff said creating and managing swag bags would require commissioner-led organization and volunteered that offering on-demand snacks to vendors while commissioners “do hot laps” around the park would be an acceptable, lower-bandwidth alternative. Commissioners suggested reaching out to local sponsors (Safeway, BECU) for donated bags or bulk snacks; staff offered to reserve space for bag-assembly if commissioners organized the work.

Remaining logistics and volunteer recruitment. Amy asked commissioners to share the city’s volunteer signup post on social media; she said the volunteer link is on the city website and in the newsletter. The commission also identified staff roles for the day—booth staffing, load-in directors, parade coordination and limited stage support—and agreed that commissioners will mix booth time with roaming to observe vendor and activity operations.

Discussion vs. formal action: The meeting record shows the commission agreed informally on assignments and staffing plans and approved the meeting agenda and minutes earlier in the session. There were no recorded formal votes tied to Newcastle Days operations at this meeting.

Looking ahead: Staff said they will circulate a volunteer sign-up spreadsheet and printed maps for vendor load-in, and commissioners will be asked to sign up for one-hour booth shifts and roaming checks during the event.