Fun shines at fifth Sunshine Fest

Limited sun didn’t stop participants from letting their fun shine through at the fifth-annual Sequim Sunshine Festival on March 1-2.

This year, organizers prepared for inclement weather with vendors, children’s activities, and live music available indoors or underneath a large tent adjacent to the Guy Cole Event Center in Carrie Blake Community Park.

The event continued to start on the Sequim Civic Center Plaza on Friday night with a joint ribbon cutting between the City of Sequim and Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce followed by stories from Mackenzie Grinnell of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

The First Friday Art Walk remained a fixture during the festival, and live music for the weekend started at Olympic Theatre Arts with the Navy Band Northwest. The Buck Ellard Band, The Harmonica Pocket, Dawn and Steve, and Black Diamond Junction played throughout Saturday inside the Guy Cole Event Center, with Black Diamond Junction finishing the festival after the Illuminated drone show.

Thousands filled into and around the park for Firefly Drone Company’s popular 15-minute show with 200 drones presenting images of an elk, hummingbird, spider, a hot air balloon, sprinter and many more images.

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Artist Ross Brown’s Interactive Light Experience exhibit also returned on both Friday and Saturday at Pioneer Memorial Garden Clubhouse.

Hundreds turned out for both the 1K fun run/walk and 5K Sun Fun Color Run on Saturday where participants were splashed with color as they went through the courses.

Andrew Gorbett of Forks won the 5K run with a time of 20:13, while Pippa Dressel of Port Angeles came in first for all women, and ninth overall with a time of 25:25.

See full results at runsignup.com/Race/Results/84486#resultSetId-440176.

A new pet costume contest sponsored by Pet Emergency Group saw two cats win — Freya and Apollo, held by Harriet Mavy and Lily Gulbranson.

Unfortunately, rain stopped the community street mural’s artwork from continuing on the sidewalk between the playgrounds.

The Sequim Sunshine Festival serves as a welcoming event, organizers say, to spring and summer and the area’s tourist season that features the Sequim Irrigation Festival and Sequim Lavender Weekend.

Organized by the City of Sequim and various community partners, it’s funded through sponsorships and the city’s Lodging Tax Fund.

Next year’s event is set for March 7-8, 2025, with more information to come at Visitsunnysequim.com.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Neal Nelson, 5, and mom Hannah, of Sequim, enjoy Ross Brown’s Interactive Light Experience at the Pioneer Memorial Park clubhouse on March 2.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal member Mackenzie Grinnell offers a welcome and story to attendees of the Sequim Sunshine Festival opening at the Sequim Civic Center Plaza on March 1.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim mayor Brandon Janisse cuts the ceremonial ribbon to open the Sequim Sunshine Festival at the Sequim Civic Center Plaza on March 1.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Jennay Kirschner (No. 751) of Vaughn, Wa., and others enjoy the 1k Sun Fun Color Run at Carrie Blake Community Park on March 2.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / The Buck Ellard Band entertains the Sequim Sunshine Festival crowd at the Guy Cole Events Center on March 2.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Amanda Bacon and Black Diamond Junction entertains the Sequim Sunshine Festival crowd at the Guy Cole Events Center on March 2.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Runners and walkers break from the starting line at the Sequim Sunshine Festival’s Sun Fun Color Run at Carrie Blake Community Park on March 2.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Visitors of the Sequim Sunshine Festival exit Carrie Blake Community Park via bridge after the illuminated drone show on March 2.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Harmonica Pocket plays inside the Guy Cole Event Center during the Sequim Sunshine Festival on March 2 as some zealous children dance nearby.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim photographer Keith Ross talks with attendees of the Sequim Sunshine Festival on March 2.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Runners and walkers break from the start line at the Sequim Sunshine Festival Sun Fun Color Run at Carrie Blake Community Park on March 2.