Arts of the Pamlico staff and volunteers have been preparing for the upcoming East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival for months.

Staff and volunteers have been identifying and signing up exhibitors and vendors that will be at the festival and helping those exhibitors and vendors set up from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 8. Exhibitors range from taxidermists to hunting guides. Vendors range from wildlife artists to purveyors of fishing, hunting and camping equipment.

Others are making preparations for the festival, set for Feb. 8-10 in downtown Washington. After a one-year absence, the festival returns for its 22^nd year.

“We will schedule more people. It’s a fairly heavy weekend for us, as it is for most places downtown,” said Roger Meyland, owner of Grub Brothers Eatery and Little Brown Jug. “I’m sure most places will staff up as much as they can.”

The timing of the festival — during the middle of winter — helps businesses because it brings in revenue during what’s usually a slow time, he noted.

“It’s a great event for downtown. It makes our February, that and Valentine’s Day. It’s 25 to 30 percent heavier than it would normally be,” Meyland said. “We usually run wide open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. … We get a lot of the vendors on Thursday night.”

“We will definitely be bringing in additional servers and hostesses, and probably another food runner,” said Mindy Ball, a manager at Down on Mainstreet. “Depending on the weather, we might have another patio server. If the weather is good, people like to sit out there.”

Ball said the restaurant would increase its food-service order that week to accommodate the increase in customers.

“Most likely. Were planning for that big event. We’re planning for another event that weekend. We’re doing a little party that day. So, actually, we’re going to be overstaffed,” said Thomas Claude Taylor with La Bella Slices and Ices. “We’re going to be prepared for all that.”

The Washington Police Department is preparing for the festival.

“The festival personnel have not requested any additional personnel; however, due to the increased pedestrian traffic downtown, we will increase our patrol efforts in the area,” wrote Stacy Drakeford, the city’s director of police and fire services, in a email.