Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Redmond Lights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Redmond reports estimated 10,000 attendees at Redmond Lights 2024; organizers cite accessibility and environmental steps
Summary
Event organizers told the committee Redmond Lights 2024 drew about 10,000 attendees, prioritized free programming and reusable giveaways, and recorded strong survey results and web traffic; councilmembers discussed leveraging light rail and parking for future events.
City event staff briefed the Parks and Environmental Sustainability Committee on Jan. 20 on Redmond Lights 2024, reporting an estimated 10,000 attendees, roughly 60 volunteers and more than 20,000 website visits tied to event outreach.
Recreation Business Manager Britney Pratt, Events and Marketing Supervisor Lindsay Tussing and Events Coordinator Laura Williams presented a recap of the multi-date program and said outreach began in September. "We estimate 10,000 people were in attendance. We had 60 volunteers, businesses and community organizations, and then we also had over 20,000 visits to the website," Pratt said.
Organizers said most on-site activities were free to minimize cost barriers and that the event partnered with Redmond Town Center and the Redmond King County Library; sponsors included Microsoft, BMW and Puget Sound Energy. Staff also said they replaced single-use giveaways with reusable items such as shirts and beanies and worked with Public Works to use environmentally safe materials for artificial snow.
Survey results presented to the committee showed more than 92% of respondents said they were likely or very likely to attend again. Council President Kritzer and other members praised the event and suggested adjustments: Kritzer recommended previewing an "electric-first" approach at future events and suggested staging countdowns at additional times to catch larger crowds; another councilmember noted 23.8% of attendees traveled from outside Redmond ZIP codes, strengthening the event's potential economic impact on local businesses.
Council and staff discussed how the city's upcoming light-rail service could affect parking and attendance for future events and suggested exploring satellite neighborhoods and improved transit links to broaden access. Staff said they will consider lessons learned and adjustments for future editions.
No formal action was taken; the briefing was for committee information and feedback.
