Taste to fund campaign to attract tourists

Design Stanwood has begun work on The Taste of Port Susan, a new event organizers hope will bring visitors to Stanwood and fund future efforts to make the town attractive.

The group hopes to pull restaurants from the whole area, not just Stanwood, to the spring event, said Renae Kettler, Design Stanwood chair of finance and fundraising. Design Stanwood is a grassroots organization of local business owners and community members.

Originally, they planned to time the event with the opening of the Stanwood Train Station, but since that date isn't set, they decided to wait until spring, Kettler said.

The exact date has not yet been chosen.

Inadvertently, the backdoor of downtown Stanwood will become what visitors see first when they get off the train, said Pearl Schaar, president of Design Stanwood. With the placement of the train station, 272nd Street NW becomes the entry into town.

Neither the state Department of Transportation nor the city of Stanwood has the money to fund the beautification of downtown, Kettler said.

The Taste of Port Susan will raise money to help make the area more attractive to visitors, she said. The more appealing the town is, the more business it will receive.

"Everybody benefits from that," she said.

The committee for The Taste of Port Susan will start in-depth planning in September. The plan is to hold the event along 271st Street NW in downtown Stanwood.

The event will feature a variety of fare, since the organizers will ensure food isn't duplicated, Kettler said.

Contests for participating restaurants will include categories such as best appetizer, dessert and coffee, hopefully with prominent food industry judges, Schaar said.

The group has submitted its application to the city, and is in the process of putting the event together, Kettler said. Community support and more volunteers are needed.

They are working on getting permission from the state Liquor Control Board to have a beer garden, she said. They may also plan a raffle if permission is obtained from the state Gambling Commission.

The Taste of Port Susan will include local bands and musicians who are willing to donate their time, Kettler said. The group is aiming for a festival-like atmosphere.

Any proceeds may fund a kiosk at the train station where area businesses can place brochures for visitors, Kettler said.

"We'd like to pull people from the train into town," she said.

If interested in joining Design Stanwood or volunteering to help with The Taste of Port Susan, call Renae Kettler at 425-210- 5493.

Staff Reporter Kristi Pihl: 629-8066 ext. 125 or kpihl@scnews.com.