Waterfront Weekend ready for return to Vallejo

Someone once said the number of people who show up at a funeral pretty much depends on the weather. Same with outdoor community events.

So if there’s one thing Jon Riley doesn’t have to worry about Oct. 2, it’s rain — when was the last time that happened? — or stifling heat. And oh, wasn’t that one Vallejo Waterfront Weekend of 105 degrees that melted the masses a hoot?

With 81 degrees forecast, Riley and event director Lisa Gannon can focus on making sure all the chess pieces to the complex event are in place.

After the COVID-cancelling of 2020, Riley’s just thrilled the show is a go, even a modified one-day-instead-of-two production.

“The community needs this a lot,” Riley said Friday. “I need this event a lot. Normally, there’s a lot of angst putting on this event, but Vallejo’s been long overdue to have a party, to go out and see friends. For some, it’s been a year and a half where you’re able to mingle.”

Riley said the core group of Vallejo Waterfront Weekend volunteers are ready to go after months of Zoom meetings.

“It’s looking pretty good. Confidence is high,” he said, crediting Gannon as “the glue that holds everything together.”

Because of constantly changing COVID protocols, “we only had a few months to pull this together,” Riley said. “We didn’t know whether we’d go forward with the uncertainty, but everyone’s been wonderful.”

For the first time, the city plunked down some cash to ease production expense anxiety, Riley said, with time spent coordinating activities instead of groveling for sponsors.

“It made us comfortable that we could put on a first-class event,” Riley said.

Perhaps the No. 1 lure: “It’s free,” he said, grateful for Mare Island developer Southern Land for “stepping up big.”

Back this year is the bus tour of Mare Island that includes visiting St. Peter’s Chapel and performances by Verismo Opera, the whaleboat regatta, a kornhole tournament, Glo Run, ferry tour, chili cook-off, kids zone, beer and wine garden, splash chair, and car show. Live music is also back, with Alvon Johnson,  D’Groove, Soul’D Out, Project 4, School of Rock, and Ronnie Stewart.

The 11th Annual Filipino Martial Arts Goodwill Tournament is presented for the first time at Waterfront Weekend led by Mel Orpilla. Also new is “Touch-a-Truck and Trades Fair,” with big machinery available for kids to jump into along with simulators provided by the local ironworkers union.

The lineup is set for the “splash tank,” with proceeds going to Vallejo Rotary. “Victims” include Riley, Dennis Klimisch, GVRD’s Gabe Lanusse, Tony Shannon, Hermie Sunga, Pippin Dew, Lynette Brown, the Times-Herald’s Shawna Gilroy, and representatives from the Vallejo police and fire departments.

The whale boat races return, coordinated as usual by Faith Hazeltine. One new requirement: proof of vaccination is required “because rowers are in such close proximity to each other,” Riley said.

Because of COVID concerns and loss of Sunday, there won’t be Laser Tag  in the kids zone this time around, Riley said, “and no sno-cones, things of that nature. For the most part, it’s just about being cognizant of the separation (social distancing) aspects.”

Though scaling back a day eliminated some activities, “logistically, it’s certainly easier,” Riley said. “Ending at 1 p.m. Sunday is a long haul. Doing just Saturday makes it a lot easier for everyone. It’s much easier to manage one day.”

Riley said it wasn’t easy cancelling the Vallejo Waterfront Weekend 2020.

“When March (2020) came around, we were still planning for the event; planning so we could adhere to all the protocols that were coming into place,” Riley said. “Then it came to where we couldn’t do it while making our citizens safe. So we canceled it.”

It was decided this last February that unless something drastic occurred, the big show would return, Riley said.

“We decided to keep everything on track and it was June … maybe July .. when we said ‘Full steam ahead.’ I think everyone’s going to enjoy the day,” Riley said.

The Vallejo Waterfront Weekend is Sat., Oct. 2, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., along the Vallejo Waterfront and on Mare Island. For more information, visit vallejowaterfrontweekend.com.