VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Crews are still working to get everything back to normal after the Something in the Water Festival.
On Tuesday, city leaders reflected on how the festival went. In the next month, officials will do a full report of the event.
Council Member Aaron Rouse said the first "Something in the Water" Festival set the bar really high for next year. He applauded everyone for playing a major role in making the event successful and safe.
Rouse said he felt the event was an open, free and well-planned event for all ages. He told his fellow council members who didn’t attend the festival that it showcased Virginia Beach to the whole world and this was an amazing first impression.
Deputy City Manager Steven Cover agreed and said he’s proud of everyone who worked for months to make this festival happen.
Cover said, “The planning and preparation in a very compressed timeline for an event of this magnitude is something to be proud of.”
Preparation was key, according to Cover, that includes the city as well as law enforcement. With an upwards of 35,000 people there for the event, public safety was a major focus.
"We knew there were potentials that could happen with an event this size. Anybody that's watched festivals that have happened across our nation the past several years, obviously things can happen so we did extensive scenarios and thought processes," said Cover.
Cover, alongside the Special Projects Leader Brian Solis, said there were a few hiccups at the festival including the rain, but there was nothing major and everyone made adjustments along the way.
Cover explained, “Crime for the police department, especially serious crime, was trending down this year compared to years past, and I don’t think that’s a big surprise. There were actually seven people peddling without a license.”
As for injuries at the festival, more than 430 people were treated for a variety of issues. Eighty-seven people went to Sentara’s medical tent, and 15 people went to the hospital. Cover said more than 240 people suffered from heat exhaustion.
“Just something we learned with a crowd that big, having those firefighters be able to get to them and many of them they just needed a cool down period,” he said.
Public Works picked up 21 tons of trash. On a typical July 4th, officials said they pick up around 20 tons.
Leaders also thanked everyone who volunteered and local cities including Chesapeake, Norfolk and York County who offered a helping hand with the festival.
City leaders want the festival to come back next year. In the 2020 budget, city leaders included a $250,000 sponsorship for the "Something in the Water" Festival. The money will be used to help "launch" the festival. They said that is the same amount in the budget for other big events including Patriotic and the Neptune Festivals.