Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Events topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Derby Days preview: bubble party, cooling centers and drone show among planned attractions; sponsors and recruitment discussed
Summary
City staff reviewed Derby Days plans including new cooling measures, accessibility improvements, vendor counts and sponsorship totals; councilors asked about balloon restrictions, sponsorship levels and parade recruitment.
City staff previewed Derby Days 2025 and described programming changes, accessibility measures and outreach progress as the July event approaches.
"This year, we'll have a bubble party … the same stuff that they made the fake snow out of at Redmond Lights," events program coordinator Laura Williams said, describing an environmentally friendly foam element intended to add a cooling option for attendees. Williams said the Redmond Senior and Community Center (RSCC) and the King County Library will open as cooling centers during the event. She also noted the return of activity booths (more than 50 applications received), a craft market, a kids bike parade, Friday night racing at the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome and the return of the drone light show.
Williams provided updated participation numbers: 95 volunteers signed up so far; 14 food vendors; about 72 craft booths; more than 50 activity booth applications; 22 parade applications; and sponsorship revenue at roughly $108,500. Williams said some event revenue and a rollover from Redmond Lights plus LTAC funds are also part of the budget. She confirmed that Amazon is sponsoring the drone show and that the sponsorship is included in the sponsorship total.
Council members pressed staff on environmental measures and recruitment. Council member Fields asked whether the city discourages balloons; Williams said the city notifies accepted booth hosts that "we don't actually allow balloons in our parks" and follows up with reminders. Council members also discussed sponsor recruitment and whether Redmond could pursue larger corporate sponsorships; Williams said staff could conduct market research for 2026 sponsorship levels. Kritzer asked for transparency on sponsorship amounts and staff time required to secure those sponsors.
Williams said parade recruitment faces constraints because the event requires electric, human-powered or RNG-powered floats to reduce emissions; that requirement has limited some traditional floats but staff have sought alternative performers and entries, including a giant unicycle, lion/dragon-type performers and ballroom dance troupes.
Next steps: outreach will continue through June and staff will finalize vendor and volunteer coordination; council requested more visibility on sponsorship levels and the staff workload involved in securing sponsors.
