Members of the 11th annual Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival committee told the Richmond Hill Council Tuesday that preparations are going smoothly for the big event, which takes place Oct. 16-18.

Committee member Bonnie Proctor commended city employees for completing the work on the City Center and amphitheater to the point where it will not interfere with the festival.

"Kudos on the park, y’all," Proctor told city officials. "I didn’t think you could pull it off."

Festival chairman Mike Sisco said city officials have "done a wonderful job of getting the park where we can use it; still some challenges but we have not cut back any venues or events and are moving forward with everything as planned."

"A lot of work went into it by city folks and city contractors, but we told them (festival committee) that it would be ready and we kept our word," City Manager Mike Melton said.

Melton said it’s unfortunate that the committee decided against using the new amphitheater stage because it is ready. Chamber Director Janet Thayer said in August that a different stage had to be brought in because the headliners’ rider specifications required them to "guarantee certain audio equipment as well as the size of the stage at the time of the contract signing, and the city had not reached that point in the planning."

Sisco said this year’s festival just may be the biggest and best yet. He said not only are all the vendor, arts and crafts and business booths sold out, but there is a waiting list. Sisco also said the response to this year’s headliners, Lou Gramm and John Waite, has been great and should draw a big crowd for their Saturday night performances.

-Read more in the Bryan County News.