Homer’s first-ever Harbor Fest brought more than 1,500 people to the Spit on Saturday for an event that included food vendors, live music and a boat show. The Homer Chamber of Commerce organized the event with help from Sacred Acre and ARCHES Alaska.
Mina Gherman, the chamber’s marketing director, said the turnout exceeded expectations, with nearly 2,000 tickets sold.
“But we had about 1700 people come in total that day who checked in. So I think that kind of just speaks for the success of the event on its own, because for months, we were hoping that we would just sell 500 tickets, but we went way above and beyond,” Gherman said.
The event featured a boat show, live performances, food vendors and hands-on exhibits for children, including a wooden boat building station. Gusty winds on Saturday morning made setup difficult for some vendors, and the chamber postponed its chef competition to later in the week. But Gherman said many food vendors stuck it out and did well.
“I talked to Fika and they didn't sell out because they planned not to, but it was way over their expectations. It was super busy, or super fruitful for them, and the fire grill sold out as well,” Gherman said.
Some craft vendors left early due to the wind, but others like the Wooden Boat Society and Homer Marine Trades Association stayed open through the evening. Gherman said families with kids especially enjoyed the hands-on exhibits and access to boats at the harbor.
The chamber plans to meet next week to talk about what worked and what to improve. Gherman said the team may expand the event to two days next year if they secure more volunteers and funding.
Organizers have postponed the chef competition again. They now plan to hold it later this year at a different location to better accommodate all teams and judges. Details will be posted on Taste of Homer’s social media.
