Sequim Gazette staff
Each October foodies and fun-seekers from across the United States, British Columbia and beyond descend upon the scenic Olympic Peninsula to partake in a grand celebration of the coveted crustacean that derives its name from the town where it was first commercially harvested back in 1848 — Dungeness.
The 14th annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival will take place Friday-Sunday, Oct. 9-11, at the Port Angeles City Pier. Hours are Friday, noon-10 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free.
Thousands of pounds of Dungeness crab are pulled from local waters each year, enabling festival-goers to savor the freshest crab available while also enjoying a wide variety of locally grown and produced foods. The 9,000-square-foot Kitsap Bank Crab Central Tent will house an old-fashioned crab-feed complete with large whole crabs, fresh corn and coleslaw. At Crab Central and throughout the grounds, 15 local and regional restaurants will serve-up everything from crab cakes to gumbo and much more. Non-seafood and vegetarian dishes will be available, as well.
Active members of the military and their spouses can enjoy a full, fresh crab dinner at the discounted price of $25 throughout the weekend. The community is invited to enjoy this special discount during the Festival’s Community Crab Feed on Friday from noon-10 p.m. For the remainder of the festival, the charge for the crab dinner is $29.
And more …
In addition to great food, there’s live music throughout the event; a chef demonstration stage featuring ongoing cooking demonstrations by a line-up of outstanding local and regional chefs; a Sunday morning non-denominational “Crab Revival” with gospel music performed by local artists; a Sunday Chowder Cook-Off sponsored by the Captain Joseph House Foundation; the Grab-A-Crab Tank Derby; and more than 70 vendor booths with juried crafts and information provided by environmental organizations.
The U.S. Coast Guard will perform an air-to-sea, search-and-rescue demonstration on Saturday at 2 p.m. just off City Pier. Watch as high-speed rescue boats hit the harbor, a “person in distress” falls into the water, and an approaching helicopter drops a rescue swimmer to hoist the survivor to safety.
For details including transportation, accommodations, directions and the full program, visit www.crabfestival.org, e-mail info@crabfestival.org, or call 452-6300.
