The Pullman Chamber of Commerce has been forced to cancel a downtown festival due to city permitting issues and the Pine Street pedestrian bridge still being out.
The 3 Forks River & Arts Festival was scheduled for May 17th in the Pine Street Plaza and the Riverwalk parking lot. The foot bridge over the South Fork of the Palouse River links the locations for the festival.
Chamber Executive Director Marie Dymkoski announced on Tuesday afternoon that her board has been forced to cancel this year’s event. The move came after city officials confirmed to the chamber that the pedestrian bridge will not be back open for the festival. The bridge was dislodged off its footings in February’s flood. The span is designed to float and pivot to one side of the river during flooding. This year’s flood was the first time the bridge floated since it was installed 20 years ago. The structure didn’t float across the river as intended and is lodged just off its footings and remains closed. City officials have stated that inspectors need to assess the structure when the river drops low enough to conduct that work safely. That examination will determine if the pedestrian bridge needs to be rebuilt or if it can be placed back on the footings.
The chamber also notes that another issue forcing the festival cancellation involves a city permit that’s needed to use the Pine Street Plaza. City staff still haven’t approved the chamber’s right of way use permit to use the plaza for the festival. You can listen to Dymkoski comment at the file below.
The 3 Forks River & Arts Festival was set for its third year next month. It’s a joint effort with the Pullman Civic Trust and the Downtown Pullman Association. All three groups agreed to cancel this year’s event.
The chamber is now refocusing efforts to develop new downtown Pullman events for this fall. Officials hope to bring the festival back next year. The chamber will refund the vendor registration fees to the businesses that signed up to take part in this year’s fest.
Pullman Radio News has reached out to City of Pullman spokeswoman Meghan Ferrin about the permitting issue and are expecting a response soon.
