(9/25) The Town Council approved bid proposals for security, bus services and trash/portable toilets for the 2024 Colorfest. The Town will be using the same clients as 2023.

A contract for $27,528 was awarded to May Security Services of Frederick to provide security services for the event, an increase from last year’s cost of $20,640. This fee includes directing traffic, assisting the local police with traffic patrol. May will provide 27 security guards, two supervisors and two relief guards for both event days.

According to Town Manager Jim Humerick, the Town has used May at this event for "decades." "If I’m not mistaken, they’re the only ones that have ever submitted a bid, aren’t they?" Mayor John Kinnard said. The rest of the council agreed.

Rill’s Bus Services of Westminster was awarded a contract for $26,000 to provide bus services. Rill’s

will provide nine standard buses on Saturday and seven standard buses for Sunday, along with two

wheelchair accessible buses for both days. "They’ve also been the same bus service who’ve worked with us for decades at Colorfest and we’re very secure with the services they provide," Humerick said.

Key Sanitation of Dickerson Maryland was awarded a contract for $24,950 to provide both trash

removal both days and portable toilets. They will also provide a truck for recycling. The bid includes pricing for 114 regular units and 16 handicap accessible units, as well as a pump truck on site both days. The pump truck will clean the portable toilets throughout the day.

According to Humerick, there was another bid for sanitation services that was a little less but they chose Key because of its past performance at Colorfest. "When you drive through Thurmont at lunchtime on Monday, you wouldn’t even know there was a Colorfest at all because they get all the trash," Kinnard said. "They haul it all away and they do a great job." He also mentioned the great job that Thurmont sanitation staff has done in the past.

One of the community's most popular and heavily attended annual events, Colorfest features street vendors, food, yard sales and more, attracting upwards of as many as 100,000 attendees.

Colorfest has been a tradition in the town since 1963, when Catoctin Mountain Park naturalist Duncan Burchard organized nature walks through the area, attracting 60 people each year. Over the years, the event expanded to include art exhibits, church dinners, and yard sales. By 1971, 30,000 people were attending the event.

Recognized as one of the top 35 arts and craft shows in the U.S., Colorfest takes its status as one-of-a-kind festival very seriously. Known for its dedication to the individuality of its vendors, officials continually verify vendor wares are authentic and handcrafted.