Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 7, 2026

Lake Stevens Aquafest ("Aquafest," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors and participants. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website at www.aquafest.com (the "Site"), use our services, or interact with us.

By using the Site, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Register as a vendor, sponsor, or volunteer — name, email, phone number, company name, mailing address, and registration details
• Submit a contact inquiry — name, email, and message content
• Subscribe to our newsletter — name and email address
• Sign up for SMS text alerts — name, email, and phone number
• Purchase tickets or make a donation — name, email, and payment information (processed by Stripe; we do not store credit card numbers)
• Register for events — name, contact information, and event-specific details (e.g., vehicle information for car show, team details for races)
• Upload documents — insurance certificates or other files required for vendor/sponsor participation
• Provide digital signatures — electronic signatures captured during registration for waivers and agreements
• Create an admin account — email and password (password is stored in hashed form only)

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Usage data — pages visited, time spent, referring URL, and interaction patterns via Google Analytics (GA4)
• Device information — browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and language preferences
• IP address — used for spam prevention, rate limiting, and approximate geographic location
• Cookies and similar technologies — see our Cookie Policy below

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process registrations, ticket purchases, and donations
• Send confirmation emails, receipts, and autoresponder messages
• Send newsletter updates and event announcements (with your consent)
• Send SMS text alerts during the festival (with your explicit opt-in consent)
• Communicate about schedule changes, weather alerts, and safety notices
• Generate registration PDFs, QR codes for check-in, and waiver documents
• Manage vendor booth assignments, sponsor tiers, and volunteer coordination
• Prevent spam, fraud, and abuse through rate limiting and anti-bot measures
• Analyze website traffic and improve the user experience
• Comply with legal obligations

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We share information only with the following service providers who assist us in operating the Site:

Service	Purpose	Privacy Policy
Stripe	Payment processing (tickets, donations, registrations)	stripe.com/privacy
Google Analytics	Website traffic analysis	policies.google.com/privacy
Twilio	SMS text message delivery	twilio.com/privacy

We also use industry-standard cloud infrastructure providers for website hosting, email delivery, and data storage. All providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.

Technology Service Provider

This website is built and operated by Memcap on behalf of Lake Stevens Aquafest. Memcap acts as a data processor and technology service provider — not a data controller. Memcap processes your data solely to provide services to Aquafest and does not use, sell, or share your personal information for its own purposes. Memcap's handling of data is governed by its agreement with Aquafest and its own Privacy Policy.

We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect our rights, or to prevent fraud or safety issues.

4. SMS Text Alerts

If you opt in to receive SMS text alerts from Aquafest:

• You will receive text messages related to festival updates, schedule changes, weather alerts, and event announcements
• Message frequency varies; up to approximately 10 messages during the festival weekend
• Message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier
• You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message
• For help, reply HELP or contact us at lakestevensaquafest@gmail.com
• SMS opt-in is not a condition of any purchase or registration
• Your phone number will not be shared with third parties for marketing purposes

5. Email Communications

We send the following types of email:

• Transactional emails — registration confirmations, payment receipts, QR codes, and password resets. These are not marketing and cannot be opted out of for active registrations.
• Newsletter and updates — event announcements, schedule updates, and community news. You can unsubscribe at any time via the unsubscribe link included in every email.

We comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. All marketing emails include our physical address, a clear unsubscribe link, and accurate sender information.

6. Payment Information

All payment processing is handled by Stripe. When you make a purchase or donation:

• Your payment card details are entered directly on Stripe's secure payment page
• We never receive, store, or have access to your full credit card number
• Stripe is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified, the highest level of payment security
• We receive only a confirmation of payment, transaction amount, and your email address

7. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site function properly and provide usage information.

Cookies We Use

Cookie Type	Purpose	Duration
Essential	Site functionality, authentication, and form submission security	Session / 1 hour
Analytics	Anonymous usage statistics — pages viewed, session duration, traffic sources (Google Analytics)	Up to 2 years
Functional	Real-time features (donation tracker, live announcements)	Session
Preferences	Remembering your choices (e.g., newsletter popup dismissal)	30 days

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality. For more information, visit allaboutcookies.org.

Google Analytics Opt-Out

You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS
• Passwords are never stored in plain text — they are cryptographically hashed
• Admin access is protected by authentication with role-based permissions
• Uploaded documents are stored in encrypted cloud storage with time-limited access
• Forms include anti-spam protections to prevent fraudulent submissions

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

• Registration data — retained for the duration of the festival season and for record-keeping purposes
• Payment records — retained as required for tax and accounting purposes
• Newsletter subscribers — retained until you unsubscribe
• SMS opt-in — retained until you text STOP or request removal
• Contact inquiries — retained for up to 12 months
• Analytics data — governed by Google Analytics data retention settings

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your data
• Withdraw consent for email or SMS communications at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at lakestevensaquafest@gmail.com.

11. Children's Privacy

The Site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

12. Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to third-party websites (sponsors, vendors, social media). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us:

• Email: lakestevensaquafest@gmail.com
• Website: www.aquafest.com/contact

Lake Stevens Aquafest is a 501(c)(4) community organization. This website is built and managed by Memcap.