A change in command is taking place at Langley’s popular Choochokam festival.

Organizer Chris Adams has announced he no longer wants to be the event’s producer.

A transition team has taken over organization and management of the event. The group is made up of Langley Mayor Neil Colburn, city administrator Walt Blackford, representatives from the Langley Chamber of Commerce, the merchant association, Whidbey Island Center of the Arts and the Langley Community Club and MUSEO.

“I am really excited about the group of people on the transition committee. They are all idea people,” Colburn said.

“We can turn this into anything we have the energy for,” he added.

The first order of business is turning Choochokam into a non-profit organization with a board of directors. The city will oversee and hold the festival through the transitioning process.

Further, the transition team is trying to sort out which organizations are best suited to take over various tasks such as logistics and organization, recruitment of exhibitors, food vendors and musicians, as well as publicity and coordination with the city’s public works department and police.

Colburn said the transition is in its early stages, but he is excited about the possibilities.

“Personally, I want it to be more like in the old days,” he said.

The mayor would like to engage the local art community more and make it primarily a local celebration rather than a tourist attraction.

“It’s a big party for the people in Langley,” Colburn said.

Choochokam has declined in popularity in recent years, most noticeable because of the drop in the numbers of vendors.

City clerk/treasurer Debbie Mahler said excluding food vendors, there were 91 booths in 2005 and only 73 in 2006. She could not locate numbers for prior years because they were archived.

“It has been perceived that it has been declining,” Colburn said.

“We want to bring it back and get the arts community involved. We want to bring it back to its original glory and its original mission,” he added.

Adams will assist in the transition. He will work together with the board to outline a budget.

There are still lots of loose ends to tie up, however. The board needs to determine how up-front expenses for planning and organizing the event, held the first weekend after Independence Day, will be covered.

“It still has to be worked out,” Colburn said.

The mayor acknowledged the “honorable and community-minded way” Adams chose to step down.

Adams wrote in a statement that he has decided to pass on the responsibilities involved in producing the two-day event.

He cited personal and professional reasons for his decision.

“It has been my belief that Choochokam happens only at the will and interest of the merchants and the town of Langley, so I am excited that a group of merchants and other entities in Langley have come forward and shown an interest in the event and its continued existence as a street fair in Langley and I do believe that it is time and a positive step for the event to bring in ‘new blood,’” Adams wrote in his statement.

“I look forward to working with whomever does take over the helm and will do all that I can to make sure that there is a positive, easy transition,” he added.

The mayor said next year’s Choochokam will shine through “progress rather than perfection.”

“I am quite pumped about it,” he said.

The transition team is meeting again on Monday.

Comments, questions and suggestions can be e-mailed to mayor1@langleywa.org or

cityadmn@langleywa.org.

Michaela Marx Wheatley can be reached at 221-5300 or mmarxwheatley@southwhidbeyrecord.com