Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts continues today
Helene Cooper and Terry Stolz set up their display tent for the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts on Thursday outside the Vern Burton Center in Port Angeles. The two will sell herbal soap and silver jewelry at the three-day event. -- Photo by Chris Tucker/Peninsula Daily News
By Paige Dickerson, Peninsula Daily News
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Anna Manildi, executive director of the festival, said she doesn't expect soaring gasoline prices to keep non-Peninsula residents from the event.
"This is a pretty special thing," she said.
"We've been doing a lot of advertising in Victoria, and with the exchange rate of the dollar right now we think we might see more people than ever coming across the border."
She said because the Fuca Festival is primarily a draw for local and regional visitors, $4 a gallon gas could encourage more people to go to the festival instead of traveling long distances for the first long weekend of the spring-summer season.
"People like to move and go places on Memorial Day weekend," she said.
"So we hope that they will come here — but you just never know how gas prices will affect us."
A 15,000 draw
In 2006, the festival drew about 15,000 people, and although gas prices were up in 2007 — though not to the $4 range as they are this year — she said the attendance was unaffected a year ago.
"Our attendance didn't go down at all," Manildi said.
"It was right in that [15,000] range again."
The festival kicked off Friday with Seattle street performer Baby Gramps from noon to 1:30 p.m. in a free concert.
The festival will run until 7 p.m. today, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday.
A four-day ticket is $43 for general admission or $38 for festival association members, students and senior citizens.
Pre-festival tickets are available at Port Book and News bookstore, 104 E. First St., Port Angeles; the Peninsula Daily News plant at 305 W. First St., Port Angeles, and Pacific Mist Books, 121 W. Washington St. in Sequim.
They are also available outside the Vern Burton Center, Fourth and Peabody streets, during the festival.
Daily wristbands are $14 for general admission and $13 for festival members, students and seniors.
To alleviate costs for students, the festival has introduced special Monday pricing for students.
Students will get half off, so a day pass on Monday is $7.
"We are really hoping that maybe some of those students will come down to enjoy the festival instead of going to a movie or something," Manildi said.
Open mic nights
Also new this year is open mic nights on Saturday and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
"We have so many really great local musicians and we simply cannot hire all of them — just like we can't possibly hire all of the regional musicians — but we wanted to give them a chance to perform at the festival," Manildi said.
Rene and Larry Bauer, who host weekly open mic nights at the Itty Bitty Buzz coffee shop in Port Angeles will host the event at the Festival Family Fun Zone Stage.
Some returning talent — such as Deadwood Revival and the Lonely H — will be performing.
Some talent new to the Fuca Festival will grace the stages, including Andalibre Flamenco.
"We really try and have a mix of artists that people know and really have loved," Manildi said.
"But I also try and get some that people might not have heard of but that I know are really great."
Each day will also be a festival unto itself, Manildi said.
"I try and have some really great things every day, so that if someone can't make it one day they will still have great things for the rest of the days," she said.
Simultaneous stages
The Port Angeles Community Playhouse stage was added last year and will continue to be a venue this year.
The stages are:
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: May 22. 2008 9:00PM