Community celebrations such as festivals, concerts, and farmers markets are central to local identity and local economies, yet many are planned by small teams with limited time, training, or direct relationships with emergency management. This session shares lessons learned from an NEA-funded arts and preparedness project in Greenup County, Kentucky, focused on strengthening event safety through practical planning tools and cross-sector partnerships. The project began by building relationships with Greenup County Emergency Management and the Local Emergency Planning Committee, then expanding the conversation to tourism leaders, event organizers, Extension, and arts partners. A key milestone was the Safeguarding Community Celebrations workshop, which brought together 21 participants, including local and regional tourism and event directors. The session combined a cross-sector panel, a Mobile Command Unit tour, a hands-on working session using a preparedness workbook, and an on-site walkthrough and debrief. Through these activities, participants identified both large-scale and site-level risks at the Greenup County Farmers Market, including proximity to a chemical plant, an active rail line, and the river, along with more immediate concerns such as unclear signage, uneven terrain, and pedestrian-vehicle conflict points. These findings informed both local planning conversations and a phased hazard mitigation design approach focused on improving circulation, visibility, and safety without disrupting regular market operations.
The session will highlight the development and field testing of the Safeguarding Community Celebrations workbook, which is already being used locally and revised based on user feedback for broader statewide release. More importantly, it will focus on the process behind the tool: how to start relationships with emergency management, how to facilitate risk-based conversations with community partners, and how to translate those discussions into practical next steps. Participants will leave with strategies for identifying risks in their own event spaces, building stronger cross-sector partnerships, and using adaptable tools to support safer, more resilient community celebrations. The session is designed for arts administrators, festival organizers, Extension professionals, tourism staff, and emergency managers seeking realistic, scalable approaches to preparedness.
