Council approves special event permit for 'What's Your Wild Ride' car show downtown

The Redmond City Council approved a special events permit and associated fee schedule to close Fifth Street on Aug. 16 for the "What's Your Wild Ride" classic car show.

Chuck Arnold, urban renewal program manager, noted that closures of Fifth or Sixth streets require public notification under city code and said the event producer had coordinated with businesses. Shane Mayfield, the event producer, told council the layout follows prior successful events and that organizers expect “thousands of people” and have confirmed insurance and business notifications. Mayfield said the street closure would begin at 6 a.m. on Aug. 16 and reopen at 4 p.m.; staging for trailers would use Centennial Park parking lot and police will assist with traffic management at event dispersal.

Council approved the permit on a motion; council members noted prior issues with attendees leaving the event in an exuberant manner and welcomed the planned police presence to manage departures.

Why it matters: the event is a downtown draw that affects business access and requires street closures and traffic management; the city and organizer have documented plans to mitigate impacts.

Next steps: event staging will coordinate with Centennial Park staff, and the city will maintain required notifications to downtown businesses and provide public information on closures and alternate routes.