Sunshine Festival pushes through snow, rain

Skies cleared long enough Saturday night for the big finale of the fourth annual Sequim Sunshine Festival.

Firefly Drone Company doubled its effort this year as 200 drones flew above the Blake property, south of Carrie Blake Community Park, showcasing everything from an orca to a sparkling spelled-out “Sequim” to a rotating interplanetary display.

Filled with awe-moments, the drone show followed a day with rain and snow, including during the Sun Fun Color Run through the park. Organizers shifted musical acts inside the Guy Cole Event Center and Trinity United Methodist Church’s sanctuary due to Saturday’s weather.

But the snow didn’t seem to impact visitors much, volunteers and City of Sequim staff said.

“At the end of the day, everything turned out fine,” said Barbara Hanna, Sequim’s communications and marketing director.

“We had surprisingly good attendance all day Saturday. Friday was beautiful with good attendance at the ribbon cutting and storytelling, and there were a lot of people everywhere downtown and it was standing room only at the Navy Band Northwest [at Olympic Theatre Arts].”

At the Interactive Light Experience in Pioneer Memorial Park, Friday night was busy and once the snow stopped on Saturday people began flowing in to see and try artist Ross Brown’s light work stations, volunteers said.

They also said the Sunshine Market inside Guy Cole Event Center remained busy throughout Saturday, despite the chilly weather.

The Sun Fun Color Run continued with a near capacity turnout of racers running/walking 1k and 5k races on Saturday as participants were painted at color stations.

Lukas Teague of Port Angeles finished first in the 5k (in 22 minutes) for all racers, and Lucy Wait, also of Port Angeles, finished third overall and first for all women, in 23:36.

See full results at runsignup.com/Race/WA/Sequim/SunFunColorRun.

While the weather was wild this year, organizers previously said the event is meant to usher in the tourism season at a slower time of year and highlight Sequim’s sunshine.

“The weather was not what we were hoping for,” Hanna said.

Organizers did cancel the street mural and luminary workshop but Hanna said they might pick a day in the summer to have a kids day event. A number of nonprofits did show up at outside tents for a few hours on Saturday but poor weather didn’t circulate as many people as organizers would have liked, Hanna said.

“It’s an opportunity to work with them again,” she said.

Organizers will meet at the end of the month to see what went well and what might change and/or expand.

The fifth annual festival is set for March 1-2, 2024.

Put on by the City of Sequim, and funded through its Lodging Tax Fund, Hanna previously said the festival continues to work towards breaking even and has seen an increase in interest from sponsors, vendors and musician applications.

Hanna thanks the committee for its ability to pivot with the weather and for Trinity United Methodist Church opening up its space.

For more information on the event and other Sequim events, go to Visitsunnysequim.com.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ A shining “Sequim” made up of 200 drones flies above crowds in and near Carrie Blake Community Park for the Sequim Sunshine Festival’s Illuminated Drone Show.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Natalie Hutton of Port Townsend tries a station at the Interactive Light Experience inside Sequim Prairie Garden Club’s clubhouse in Pioneer Memorial Park on March 4. She came to Sequim to see the Illuminated Drone Show later in the night.

Sequim Gazette photos by Michael Dashiell Artem Cummings, nearly 3, gets a piggyback ride from dad Dillon Cummings as mom Shelbie looks on, following the Sun Fun Color Run on March 4. The Cummings were part of a large family contingent who braved the chilly weather and rain/sleet/snow for the race.

Tom Schindler entertains the Sunshine Market audience inside Guy Cole Event Center on March 4. Wintry weather forced festival organizers to shift music acts to the center and nearby Trinity United Methodist Church.

Black Diamond Junction offers some rockin’ dance tunes at Trinity United Methodist Church during the Sequim Sunshine Festival on March 4.

Sequim Gazette photos by Michael Dashiell Organizers of the 2023 Sequim Sunshine Festival cap the weekend’s events with a 200-drone show above Carrie Blake Community Park on March 4.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Meg and Buddy Depew chat with customers at the Sunshine Market inside the Guy Cole Event Center on March 4.