This year marks the 83rd year of the Rhododendron Festival in Port Townsend – a tradition all locals should be proud of.

And, an important tradition to keep going.

In the weeks leading up to the annual Rhody Festival, many were uncertain if the event would carry on in its fullest as a guaranteed spot for the carnival was not set in stone until last week at the Jefferson County Memorial Athletic Field.

Living in the Great Pacific Northwest comes with the annual spring showers that tend to make grounds spongy and possibly not the most stable to hold heavy equipment – such as carnival rides.

Not to mention, the damage the grounds could sustain if the grounds are too wet when the equipment is being transferred on and off the field.

These types of damages make it hard to recover from for other events to carry on, on the same grounds - like sporting games. This led to some officials not wanting the carnival to be held on the athletic field for future festivals.

After the 2017 Enchanted Rhody Festival, Jefferson County spent $4,293 in labor and materials to repair the field. Another $10,000 was spent in the summer for top dressing and more. Although Funtastic reimbursed the county for the repairs, the event left commissioners questioning if the Rhody carnival should continue on at the athletic field.

After much debate, commissioners, in April, allowed the tradition to carry on one last time as long as the field was dry enough to hold the equipment.

As of May 14, the field was dry enough – allowing the carnival to begin its setup process.

However, this means the tradition will need to carry on in a new way starting in 2019. 

A new location for the carnival is not a bad thing – change is not a bad thing.

In order for a tradition to last and become an event people want to carry on, it has to be done in the best way possible – thinking about the safety of event goers, and condition of the location to carry on other historical events. 

In this case, change will allow a new site to become part of the festival, providing a safe and more stable location. It could even lead to a bigger space allowing the Rhody festival to grow even more. There is so much that can happen when change takes place.

Although the Jefferson County Memorial Athletic Field has been the best place for the carnival in years past, The Leader looks forward to the new future with more opportunities for the event to grow.

As we embrace the 83rd annual Rhododendron Festival, we will enjoy the familiar surroundings of the carnival at the athletic field and know that although some things change, the tradition will carry on.