A community event such as the Pacific BeachFest takes a tremendous amount of planning, money and cooperation. First of all, an organization, such as Discover Pacific Beach, has to take on the project. Then, an individual has to spearhead the planning and coordination. Usually a small task force, committee or group of volunteers assist with the planning and details. Then there are the many permits that have to be located, filled out and submitted to the city’s various agencies. Someone has to publicize the event, arrange entertainment, contact and line up vendors, and work on the logistics. As the event draws near, equipment has to be obtained and volunteers have to be recruited. The day of the event is like throwing a huge party or directing a wedding, only bigger. It’s more like throwing a rock concert. When it is over, there is still that pesky cleanup and removal of the equipment. With any luck, thousands of people had a great time and there weren’t any accidents, crowd control problems or legal issues. That’s all it takes. WHAT IT TAKES: 150 volunteers, 30 walkie-talkies, 12 electric generators, 30 Porta-Potties, 20 security officers, 80 barricades, 100 booths, 10 crowd closure signs, crowd estimate 40,000, estimated cost $40,000.