A big change to this year’s 49er Festival made a big difference. Thanks to everyone who posted photos and responded to social media with more feedback than ever before: The Taste of Tuolumne was a big hit that people want to see again next year.
Nearly 3500 Taste tickets were fairly evenly spent across the eleven Taste participants and the fifteen Tastes being offered. Tastes varied from soups to sweets, hot to chilled, with the two chili participants (Groveland Youth Center and Chili Cook-Off Champion Kathy Miller) also serving up two very different chili Tastes.
The Taste of Tuolumne was designed to provide more opportunities for business members, particularly those on Main Street and in the Food/Beverage industry, to showcase their contributions on Festival day, which traditionally is a very slow business day for most. Our partnership with the Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce introduced locals to new dining options when going “down the hill” is the only option and out-of-towners got to sample some of our best local fare. Early feedback from Taste participants is positive and with learnings from this first event, things are looking good for a 2025 Taste of Tuolumne. Stay tuned for details.
Meanwhile, the tried-and-true traditions of the 49er Festival held strong, with more participants in the Main Street parade than ever before, a thrilling air show, and a great performance by Sheriff Yosemite Bob and Hot Chili Charlie. Thanks to Parade Chair Laurie James for making the Parade even better! Hosting Sagen Maddalena’s US Army Hometown tour was the icing on the cake as she served as our 2024 Grand Marshal and an inspiring role model for our young people. Who WASN’T proud to honor this wonderful young woman who achieved her dream, doing it not just for herself but for Team USA, the armed forces, and all of us “back home?”
The 49er Festival doesn’t happen by magic, and it doesn’t happen with seventy people operating independently. Part of the magic is the strong partnerships with key community groups like the Tuolumne County Sheriff and CSU (thank you Traffic/Safety Chair Bruce Dudley), ROOFBB, Groveland Highlanders 4H, CERT, Savage Diggins, and Groveland Rotary. Some of those groups benefit financially from their involvement; others participate as a community service. Whatever the reason, the 49er Festival can continue only with the commitment of strong community partners who are willing to take on ownership and full responsibility for major elements of the 49er Festival.
We are already looking ahead to September 20, 2025 and to the partnerships and resources needed to execute another successful festival. If you don’t know who you are, you will because we’ll be reaching out to you soon to get you involved for 2025. Once again, we thank every one of you who volunteered time and energy to this beloved community event. We hope to see you next year!
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