Wow, that escalated quickly. Seems like just yesterday the nomination period opened for the annual Best of Tahoe. Now, here we are with finalists set in each category and the voting starts on Saturday, May 1.

Every year I say how amazed I am at the participation of the community during the nomination phase and every year it happens again. This year surpassed the number of nominations we received over last year, which surpassed the year before that, and rather than sounding like a broken record, you get the idea.

2021 has some big shoes to fill. Sure, the year didn’t start off probably as all of had hoped, but we’re getting there. The anticipation of some upcoming dates and the talk of getting back to (at least a sense) of normal has everyone excited – probably a bit anxious, too.

Regardless of where you sit on the fence in anticipation of the remainder of the year, you probably have your share of favorites around the lake. Whether that’s barbecue, or chiropractor, or even bike trail, the Best of Tahoe contest allows for you to get excited about the things, people and places that you love.

Perhaps if you’ve moved to the area during the past year you are still discovering some of your favorites, which is also where the Best of Tahoe can come in handy. If you need to find a dentist, why not go to the one that people voted the best? Or at least was a finalist – we have to spread the love a little, right?

For businesses that win, it could be just the thing that gets them back on their feet after a hard-fought year. For others, it’s total justification for why you spend countless days and nights making things the best for your customers and the community.

This community has shown so much support for each other over the past year; extend that support just a bit further and vote for the finalist you feel is the best. Many of you may not see your favorite in the finals. We take only the most nominated businesses to the finals as we want to ensure the best of the best is represented by the support they received from you.

Voting begins Saturday, May 1 and lasts through Friday, May 14, so there are two weeks for you to rally behind your besties. And as a reminder, you can vote once per day, per category. We have ways to ensure there aren’t folks out there creating fake accounts and submitting votes, so don’t fret.

The main point of this is to have fun and ultimately crown a winner. Your role in helping to do that, I’m certain, is much appreciated by all the finalists. After all, who doesn’t want to see success in the eyes of their peers?

I’m looking forward to another year of seeing if crowns can be maintained or if surprises lurk around the corner. Congratulations to all of the finalists and best of luck to you in the voting.

Voting can be found at: tahoedailytribune.com/bestoftahoe2021

Publisher Rob Galloway can be reached at rgalloway@tahoedailytribune.com or 530-542-8046.