Even a pandemic can’t stop Washington state’s longest running festival’s streak from continuing.

The 126th annual Sequim Irrigation Festival Kick-off begins this Saturday with the reveal of the royalty float, followed by a dinner and auctions.

Kickoff dinner organizer Robin Bookter said locals can tune into the virtual reveal at 4:45 p.m. April 3 held at 7 Cedars Casino at irrigationfestival.com and facebook.com/SequimIrrigationFestival to see the float for the first time.

Dinner tickets are sold out, but soon after the float reveal, silent and live auctions begin online; bid on entries at www.kickoff2021.givesmart.com.

Anyone can register and bid even without a dinner ticket, as the kickoff serves as a benefit for the festival’s operations, volunteer organizers said.

Bookter said they encourage participants to take photos and tag them with #RomingSequim and/or post them on the festival’s Facebook page.

This year’s festival is branded “Sequim, A Place For You to Rome.”

In February, organizers held the festival’s first virtual royalty scholarship pageant with judges choosing Sequim High junior Hannah Hampton to lead the court of princesses Allie Gale, Zoee Kuperus and Sydney VanProyen.

They’ll be part of the Grand Parade, which will be a virtual procession similar to last October’s event, which is set to run at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 8.

Bookter said winners of auction items can pick them up between 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, from the Sequim Food Bank, 144 W. Alder St., with a royalty member handing out each item.

For more information about the festival, visit irrigationfestival.com.