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Following the announcement by the Smith family earlier this year to retire Mountlake Terrace’s signature Tour de Terrace summer festival, the new nonprofit MLT Cares has announced plans for the MLT Festival, scheduled for July 18-20.
The family-oriented, three-day summer festival was first celebrated in 1994 after residents Jerry and Judi Smith decided to establish an event to commemorate the City of Mountlake Terrace’s 40th birthday, along with generating community spirit and pride. Jerry Smith, who died in 2018, was later elected to serve on the Mountlake Terrace City Council and was the city’s mayor for 16 years.
Kim Newman said she and her husband, Dale, decided to launch a new festival as soon as they learned of the Tour de Terrace’s retirement. They teamed up with other residents to keep a summer festival in the town.
Both Kim and Dale serve on the MLT Cares board of directors, along with Matt Atkins and Diana Atkins.
Dale Newman, a realtor, has volunteered for Tour de Terrace in previous years, and the Newman and Atkins families have also worked together on other events. Kim Newman owns a massage therapy clinic and a web design company — she designed the organization’s website.
Newman said the MLT Festival is not connected to the Tour de Terrace. She said that MLT Cares board members want to respect the Smith family’s accomplishments and legacy, and hope the new festival will continue the community pride and spirit the Smiths created and maintained.
Like the Tour de Terrace, the MLT Festival will include a parade and will also offer a pancake breakfast, with a new twist. The event will be called a “Heroes Breakfast,” and community members will have the opportunity to buy an extra breakfast for someone who would like to participate but might not be able to afford it.
But the hero theme doesn’t end with breakfast. Newman said there will also be a “Heroes vs. Villains” fun run, with participants encouraged to dress as their favorite hero or villain. The festival will also include vendor booths, food trucks, live music and entertainment and a beer garden.
“We plan to bring the events from the previous celebration back this year with the exception of the carnival,” Newman said. “Unfortunately, by the time the news went public, the carnivals had all been booked for other events.”
Newman explained that carnivals typically sign multi-year contracts and must fill gaps when they are created. Therefore, the previous carnival owners have filled the date and will likely not be available for a while. However, a new carnival outfit is being sought.
In addition to looking for a carnival, MLT Cares is seeking sponsors and equipment. The organization is starting from scratch, although it has dedicated volunteers on board. Newman explained that Tour de Terrace had accumulated equipment over 30 years, which the new MLT Festival must now acquire. This included tents, chairs, tables, pancake breakfast grills and cooking equipment, fencing, putt-putt golf, generators, power boxes, a stage, stage lighting and more.
MLT Cares has completed the first round of price shopping for rental equipment but renting equipment is a considerable challenge starting an event of this scale. Newman said that “all the equipment is quite expensive and will be a yearly cost for the event.”
“If we are able to acquire equipment at a reasonable price over time, we will have to find a place to store it,” she added.
With six months remaining until the first MLT Festival, the MLT Cares website has a countdown timer along with more information on how to sponsor the event, participate as a vendor or entertainer, or enter the parade or fun run.
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