Meet Two People Behind Redmond's Derby Days Festival

REDMOND, WA — The 79th annual Redmond Derby Day festival kicks off on Friday afternoon, offering a weekend full of food, parades, music, carnival rides, and even a diaper derby for toddlers. Patch talked to two (of the hundreds) of people who help put the festival together to hear what they like best about it.

Redmond Fire Chief Tommy Smith

Smith attended his first Derby Days in 2014, helping to cook for the Redmond Firefighters Benevolent Fund pancake breakfast. It was a daunting task for a first-time pancake chef, but one that showed Smith how tight-knit Redmond is.

"I've never seen anything like that, the line of people waiting for pancakes wrapped around the station " he said. "The dedication of the staff, the volunteers, and the local businesses that donated the supplies, it just spoke to me about the value of community in Redmond."

He estimates Redmond firefighters and other volunteers cook up to 5,000 pancakes each year. The breakfast, which you can attend for a suggested donation of $5, provides money for a fund that helps the needy in the community — for example, a family displaced by a fire or other emergency. The goal this year is to break the attendance record of 1,500 people.

Smith's favorite part of the breakfast isn't the food. He enjoys seeing children visit the fire station and learn about firefighting. During the breakfast, kids can tour fire trucks, use a real fire hose, and try on firefighting gear.

"For me, Derby Days is one of those events that highlights what Redmond is all about — community coming together, and that's what really stands out for me every year."

The pancake breakfast begins at 8 a.m. Saturday at Redmond Fire Station 11, 8450 161st Ave. Northeast.

Dave Tuchek, Park Operations Manager

Tuchek has worked for Redmond Parks and Recreation for more than 30 years, but it wasn't until three years ago that he stepped into a pivotal role at Derby Days: float driver in the Grand Parade.

For the past few years, Tuchek has driven the float featuring the winner of the Derby Days $1,500 "Do-Gooder Scholarship." This year's winner is Redmond High School senior Grace Kim, who founded a nonprofit to get middle school-age girls involved in STEM activities called Girls Rock At STEM Seminars (GRASS).

This year, the Do-Gooder winner will be riding in a horse-drawn carriage. That means Tuchek is getting transferred to drive the car with the parade's grand marshal, Mayor John Marchione. It's an extra special duty for Tuchek since Marchione is stepping down at the end of this year.

"[Marchione] has done a lot for the community and it works out really well he's going to be the grand marshal," Tuchek said. "He's given a lot to the community. I think it's outstanding."

The Grand Parade begins Saturday at 11 a.m. and heads north from the intersection of Northeast 83rd Street and 161st Avenue Northeast.

Derby Days begins at noon on Friday with the Redmond Arts Festival. The main events happen all day Saturday. This year's Derby Days theme is "Game On!" offering attendees the chance to "challenge their friends and neighbors to friendly competition in the spirit of community building." You can find the full schedule for both days on the Derby Days website.