Thursday, October 1, 2009

Overdue Report

My goodness, the last post was almost two months ago. I am terrible at this blogging thing. Well the Festival was wonderful, pictures posted on our website at www.lentilfest.com.

Despite being a down year for the economy sponsorship was still up. We added a third day to the Festival with a new golf tournament and expanded the beer garden. We used all new bands this year that received rave reviews and the Kid's Area renovation was very popular. Attendance was just as high as last year despite the very warm temperatures and the parade lasted well over an hour with nearly 100 entries. The Festival went green with more biodegradable containers and a new park & ride system as well as "green" merchandise and additional recycling options. All in all, a fantastic time.

Plans are already under way for next year and several new ideas have been added to the list. Send us your thoughts, we are open to anything.

Want to know what is going on with Pullman when we aren't lentiling? Every month I will post a new list of my 10 things to do in Pullman for under $10. Check back soon for the October list!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Top 6--Lentil Festival on a roll!!

The National Lentil Festival Lengendary Lentil Cook Off took place last Thursday, July 30. We had a room full of hungry judges, eager to try new and different lentil recipes. After the oo's and ahh's, we have come up with our top 6 recipes. They are:

B-L-T Dip, submitted by Janice Elder of Charlotte, NC
Herbed Lentils and Rice, submitted by Betty Fulmer of Greenacres, WA
Savannah’s Sweet Potato Lentil Fritters, submitted by Jane Harrison Ashworth of The Woodlands, TX
Not Your Mother’s Jelly Roll, submitted by Wilma Page of Richland, WA
Rhubarb Lentil Crisp, submitted by Julie Schneider of Pullman, WA
Maple Chipotle Barbecue Lentil Pizza, submitted by Viviane Levine of Summerfield, FL

The winner of the I Hate Lentils category was:

Animal Cracker Dip (Fudgy Chocolate Frosting), submitted by Connie McKeen of Milton, WA

These top 6 recipes will be judged by 400 festival goers on Saturday at 2pm.

Each of the recipes at the cook off were incredible. A HUGE thank you goes out to all of our recipe submitters.

We are now sliding head first into the last stretch of festival preparation. Saturday vendor spots are all filled up. We have extended the deadline for Friday vendors until Friday, August 7. Parade applications are also still available, and will be until August 14.

We are extremely excited about this amazing event and cannot wait to show you all how it is even better than ever!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Top 50 have been found!

We received the prescreening judging sheets, counted up the votes, and found our top 50 recipes for the 2009 Lentil Festival!!! In no particular order, here they are:

Smoky Lentil & Spinach Quesadillas with Chipotle Avacado Cream
Savory Lentil Pancakes with Ginger Tomato Chutney
Mediterranean Lentil Lamb Burger
Lentil Cocktail Cups
Lively Lentil Salad with Thai Flavors
"Lentil" Havana Lettuce Cups
Lentil Ravioli with Spinach and Cheese
Lentil Salad with Peas, Arugula and Tomatoes
Lentil Fritter Snacks
Quick and Easy Lentil Joes
African Stew
Pumpkin Lentil Soup
Rainbow Lentil Tacos
Super Duper Lentil Burgers
B-L-T Dip
Lentil-Rice Burritos
Indian-Style Lentils and Basmati Rice with Warm Cilantro Oil
Red USA Lentils and Spinach Chicken
Cilantro Chicken Jack & Lentil Quesadillas
Not Your Mother's Jelly Roll
Herbed Lentils and Rice
Jewel Lentil Salad
Lentil Lemon Linguini
Savannah's Sweet Potato Lentil Fritters
Legendary Lentil Samosas with Cilantro Mint Chutney
Summer Sweet Lentil Salad
Lentadillas
Lentil Sliders
Twice Baked Pineapple Lentil Enchiladas
Rhubarb Lentil Crisp
Spicy Lentil Sloppy Joes
Lentil Enchilada Casserole
Maple Chipotle Barbecue Lentil Pizza
Balinese Garden Peanutty Lentil Soup
Mystical Mediterranean Lentil Salsa with Pita Chips
Cherry Right-Side Up Cake
Fresh-Mex Lentil Wontons with Zesty Cilantro-Lime Dip
Lentilicious Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones
Creamed Goat Cheese Sweet & Sour Lentil Bruschetta
Summertime Stuffed Sweet Onions
Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Lentil and Yam Chimichangas
Turtle Cheese Wedges
Sweetey Pie
Animal Cracker Dip (Fudgy Chocolate Frosting)
Bacon Wrapped Lentil Stuffed Mushrooms
Lentil Hummus
Bombay Tacos with Mango-Yogurt Sauce
Carrot Pineapple Lentil Bread
Bowl Me Over Italian Lentil Soup

We are looking forward to tasting all of these fantastic recipes on the 30th of June! Once the recipes have been made, a group of judges will decide who gets to move on to the top 6! It will be a tough decision to make. The top 6 recipes will be featured at the Lentil Festival on Saturday in Reaney Park. The first 400 festival-goers will get to help judge these amazing recipes! Come hungry!!!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Full steam ahead!

Pullman's 4th of July celebration went incredibly well. Not as many were in attendance this year, but we are blaming that on the scorching heat. It was a gorgeous day on the Palouse. The fireworks were fantastic! Thank you to all of you that came out to support the event! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Now that the fireworks have been lit, its time for the Chamber to get going...full steam ahead! The Lentil Festival is just 43 days away! The cook off applications have all been turned in and are ready to be prescreened so we can find our top 50! This year, we had some technical difficulties with our new online forms, so we ended up with 93 qualifying recipies this year, which was a bit shy of the 125 submitted last year. Those 93 recipes came from 30 different states, which is absolutely fantastic! We are still hoping to reach our goal of getting a recipe from each state in the future.

All of the recipes submitted will be prescreened by a few select judges. These judges will narrow our recipes down to the top 50. Those 50 will be the recipes entered in the Lengendary Lentil Cook Off!! We are all very anxious to see who makes the cut!

Vendor, contest and parade applications are still available online if anyone is interested. We are hopeful that this year's Lentil Festival will be bigger and better than ever!!

Monday, June 29, 2009

4th of July week

This week, the Chamber is gearing up for our big 4th of July celebration! We are hoping to get tons of last minute donations in our donation jars around town to help with fireworks, and if anyone is interested in volunteering at the park, call the Chamber! (334-3565). We still have plenty of volunteer spots to fill.

The celebration will start at 5pm on the 4th with a BBQ and inflatable toys. Music will begin at 5:30 with the Pullman Community Band. They will be followed by Dan Maher at 6:30, and the Kingpins at 7:30. Once dusk hits, fireworks will light up the sky! There will be no personal fireworks allowed at the park. There will also be no animals or alcohol allowed.

If you would like to join in our fun, come to Sunnyside park on July 4th at 5pm for a fantastic evening! Park and ride lots will be available throughout Pullman and there will be plenty of signs up to show you where to go. For more information on this awesome celebration, call, email, or visit the Chamber! You can also listen to Hit Radio 104.3 for our 4th of July information spot! Hope to see you there!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Beany Greeny

This year, the National Lentil Festival is in the process of going green! Our new Lentil Festival water bottles are BPA-free stainless steel bottles that will be available for purchase at the Chamber or at the festival. For those that purchase a water bottle, a cool water refilling station will be available. This will help cut down on plastic water bottle usage.

To save paper, all applications for the event will be available online. Additionally, all communication between vendors and contestants will be done via email.

Avista's mascot, Wattson the Energy Dog, will treat the kids to some 'green' entertainment in the kid's area. He will be teaching kids about the importance of conserving power and alternative energy sources.

Outside the festival, we will be attempting to reduce carbon emissions by putting up more bike racks for those that would like to ride instead of drive. We will also have park and rides around town with buses running to and from the festival in attempts to cut down on traffic, pollution, and any parking problems.

Recycling bins will be placed around the festival near garbage cans and biodegradable bowls and spoons will be used for the cook off.

We are officially stepping into our big girl pants, trying to save our environment..one chili bowl at a time. We would appreciate your help and support in our green attempts.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The New Lentil Lady

Hello there! My name is Allyson Rohde and I am the new intern at the Pullman Chamber of Commerce. Things have gone extremely well for my first few weeks at the Chamber, and I am so excited to be working with such an amazing group of ladies!

At the moment, the chamber office is working on putting together another great 4th of July celebration. We have set donations jars around town to help raise money for fireworks, and we will soon be calling around for volunteers. It will be a fantastic 4th of July this year, I can feel it!

The Lentil Festival plans are also coming along. Our 2009 poster has been very popular so far. I can't wait to see everything come together for the big event. And, if you hadn't heard, the festival will be 3 days long this year! We have a golf tournament that will take place on Monday, August 23rd at the new Palouse Ridge golf course. There is also talk of a rugby tournament joining on! I will keep you updated on that.

On Wednesday, June 10, Pullman's very own Farmer's Market will grace the streets of Pullman once again. This will be our 4th farmer's market (I believe). Each week keeps getting better and better with more vendors, more people, and live music. The energy has been high, and we would love to keep it that way! Come check it out every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. in the Old Post Office parking lot!

If you can STAND any more excitement, Mary Barstow is now Mary MacDonald! Congratulations to Mary and her new hubby!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Lentil Fest Poster Unveiling


Last night was our annual Lentil Festival poster unveiling. It was held at the Old Post Office Wine Gallery. A nice crowd showed up to taste local wines and get the first look at our 2009 poster, created by local artist, Matthew Leiker. A special thanks to Matthew and all of our sponsors.
Signed posters, tshirts, and other Lentil Festival 'gear' will be available at the Pullman Chamber office.
We are very excited about the new design for this year and hope that everyone else enjoys it as well!
Just a quick reminder: if you are interested in entering a cook off recipe for a chance to win our grand prize of $1000, go to our website at www.lentilfest.com and enter your recipe! The deadline is July 3. We hope to see you all at the Lentil Festival August 21-23!!


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

100 Days and Counting...

Today is my one-year anniversary of working here at the Pullman Chamber of Commerce and it is officially 100 days until the National Lentil Festival. All of the sponsors are on board, the poster has been printed and is ready to be unveiled May 28, vendor applications are pouring in, and the merchandise has all been ordered. Our Little Lentil King and Queen have chosen the parades they will attend with the Lentil Express this year. If you would like to see the Lentil Express, we will be attending the following parades:

Rosalia Battle Days in Rosalia, WA: June 6
Slippery Gulcch Days in Tekoa, WA: June 20
Johnson Parade in Johnson, WA: July 4
Albion Parade in Albion, WA: July 4
Potlatch Community Days: July 18
National Lentil Festival Parade: August 22
Paul Bunyan Days in St. Maries, ID: September 5
Palouse Days Festival in Palouse, WA: September 19
University of Idaho Homecoming in Moscow, ID: October 31

I am feeling strangely ahead of schedule but I'm sure that feeling will pass. Fortunately we have a crack team here at the office and on our Lentil Festival Committee! We recently hired an Events Intern for the summer and are pleased to have Allyson join our team on Monday. This is a Festival that really does take a village to put together. We have representation from almost every industry in the community. This means more sources of new, creative ideas for the festival for you! If you are interested in volunteering for the Festival or helping out on the Committee in any way, please email director@lentilfest.com. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 14 at the Pullman Chamber Office.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Lentil of the Month Club!

If anyone is fortunate enough to know what a lentil is, the most likely know one variety. "Lentils are those brown flat pea-things" is a common reply to the question "What is a lentil?" In reality, there are several varieties of lentils, each with different cooking characteristics, tastes, colors, and growth patterns but all very good for the soil and good for you!

In an effort to educate people about the many types of lentils, we have started a Lentil of the Month Club. Each month club members will receive a new variety of lentils or lentil products that are grown right here on the Palouse. In addition to a new type of lentils, you will receive an exclusive recipe to try and additional fun facts about lentils and the Palouse. See our website for how you can become our next member!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Well Under Way

The National Lentil Festival is 123 short days away. This quickly diminishing number fills me with both fear and excitement. It also means that here at the Lentil Festival office we are deep in preparation mode. Our Lentil Festival Committee has been hard at work planning new, exciting things to do for this year's festival. One of the biggest changes will be a new "I Hate Lentils" Category in the 16th annual National Lentil Festival Legendary Lentil Cook-off.

Every year people from across the country (37 states in 2008) submit their favorite lentil recipes for this cook-off. While we have received many delicious recipes including lentil-stuffed mushrooms, colorful lentil salads, and lentil spice cake and brownies, some people still refuse to try these award-winning recipes for the simple fact that they contain lentils. This new category will offer a special prize to the chef who creates the recipe that has the best aroma, texture, appearance, and taste but has cleverly hidden lentils. Good luck to all our chefs! All recipes are due June 3, more details on our website.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Sponsor Support UP Even During Hard Times

I have been reading reports from Festivals and Events all over the State of Washington and the Pacific Northwest about how terrible the economy is and how difficult it is to find sponsor money. SeaFair, a major summer festival in Seattle, is down 15% and similar reports are coming in from across the country.

This is just not the case in Pullman. Maybe it is because Pullman took the economy hit later than most and maybe it is because we are a smaller Festival that doesn't require as much funding but I genuinely believe that it is because Pullman cares about this Festival and will do whatever they can to make sure that their business helps contribute to the biggest party in town. No matter how you slice it, the National Lentil Festival has INCREASED cash sponsorship by 10%, not including added support from the City of Pullman, and In-Kind sponsorship has INCREASED 40%! A tremendous jump in any economy.

Thank you to all our generous sponsors of the 2009 Festival. We promise to have a good show for you.
National Corporate Sponsors: Avista Utilities, Beasley Realty, City of Pullman, Coca-Cola Company, Dissmore's IGA, Inland Cellular, Inland Northwest Broadcasting, James Toyota, Old Post Office Wine Cellar & Gallery, Palouse Ridge Golf Club, Time Warner Cable, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, Washington State University, and Whitman Senior Living.
Tase T. Lentil Club Sponsors: Bank of America, Border 104/KQQQ, Daily Grind Espresso, Northwest Public Radio, Pullman Disposal Service, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, and Sun Rental Center.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Wanted: Intern!

The National Lentil Festival is looking for an intern for the summer starting June 1. This internship provides one student with an experience unlike any other. The person hired for this position will help coordinate every aspect of Pullman's 4th of July Celebration and the National Lentil Festival during their three months with the Pullman Chamber of Commerce. This will include recording radio PSAs, maintaining databases, writing articles for our website and local newspapers, coordinate and manage volunteers, and help oversee both events.

The position is paid, $9/hour, not to exceed $2,250 for the duration of the internship and will require 20 hours of work per week plus 35-40 event hours from June 1 to August 28. For a full description, please click here or see our website at www.pullmanchamber.com.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Extra Day to Play!

The National Lentil Festival is proud to announce that it is now a three day Festival!

Pullman, WA is proud to host this annual event the weekend before classes start at WSU. With the help of the brand new Palouse Ridge Golf Club we have been able to expand the festival to Sunday to include the first ever National Lentil Festival Golf Tournament. More details coming soon but put this on your calendar for August 21-23, 2009 in Pullman, WA!

National Lentil Festival

Welcome to the official National Lentil Festival blog!

The National Lentil Festival is held the weekend before classes start for Washington State University in the fall. This year it will be August 21-22. The event includes:

Friday Night Street Fair:
World's Largest Bowl of Chili: we give away 300 gallons of free lentil chili within about an hour
Children's Area: including inflatable games, free cotton candy and much more!
Beer & Wine Garden: with a wide selection of microbrews and regional wines, sponsored by the Old Post Office Wine Cellar, for those over 21
Free Concert Stage: sposored by Inland Cellular, with music from your favorite Northwest Artists

Saturday, August 22:
Grand Parade: sponsored by Time Warner Cable, starts at 11:00am and runs through downtown Pullman
5K: Open to runners and walkers, this short race is a great way to see the town
100K: Tour the Palouse Hills on this non-competitive ride through Whitman County
Little Lentil King & Queen Coronation: Children entering grades 2-5 can try out for this
Kid's Area: including a science tent, juggling school, arts and crafts, and stage acts
Lentil Cook-off Judging: sponsored by the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, allows you to vote for your favorite of our winning 6 lentil submissions
Free Concert Stage: with more great music in the park!

And much more! Check out our website for complete details! www.lentilfest.com