Fuca Festival attendance tops last year's record
By Paige Dickerson, Peninsula Daily News
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Anna Manildi, director of the four-day festival of world music, arts, crafts and more, estimated that about 16,000 people — about 1,000 more than last year — had participated in some way even before final-day totals were included.
"We have a great group of volunteers who stay here until 2 a.m. every night counting up the money and the totals," Manildi said.
"With the way we've counted and our estimates, we could have 17,000, but not counting [Monday] we had about 16,000 people."
The warm, sunny weather coaxed people out of their homes for the concerts.
Although cooler weather came on Sunday and continued on Memorial Day, the drop-off in the crowds was no more dramatic than normal, Manildi said.
"There is an ebb and flow to the festival, and on Monday it usually slows down a little more," she said.
'Venues were awesome'
Adam Dobres, a guitarist for Outlaw Social, hadn't been to the festival before, but said he will be back.
The Victoria band played at three of the venues while in Port Angeles and hope to return next year.
"The crowds were really great and the venues were awesome," Dobres said.
"We will be back for sure. It is so easy to come over on the ferry."
Dobres isn't alone in coming over on the ferry — actually two of them: the year-round MV Coho car-passenger ferry and the Victoria Express passenger vessel, which began its seasonal run Saturday.
"I've talked to the ticket takers, and they said that they've heard from quite a few people from Canada who came over," Manildi said.
Although tallies of who was from Canada, extra advertising efforts in Victoria did have an effect, she said.
Vendors mixed
But vendors in the tent city that occupied a closed-off Fourth Street and part of the City Hall parking lot reported mixed results.
Lisa Kendrick, owner of XSBaggage and Co., said her sales this year were better than last year's.
"This is my second year here, and it has been great — way better than last year," Kendrick said.
She runs XSBaggage from her Port Angeles home and designs and makes purses, wallets, hair accessories and other products.
She sells the items online at www.xsbaggageandco.com, and to retailers from New Zealand to California.
Another vendor, Terry Stolz, owner of Sierra Nevada Soap between Port Angeles and Sequim, said his sales were slightly down from last year, but not dramatically.
"There was a big huge crowd here over the weekend," Stolz said.
"But I think the main thing is that with the economy, people are buying less because they've got to tighten their belts a little bit."
Weather cooperates
Seattle business Ade Africana, owned by Thomas "Ade" Okunuga, reported about the same sales activity as in past years.
"It has been a great year and the weather really cooperated," he said.
The business, which sells handmade African art and products, has made the trip to the Juan de Fuca Festival for the past five years, he said.
"We heard it was an art fair, and that is exactly what we are about," he said.
Philippa Manley-Piper, street fair coordinator, said about 80 percent of the vendors deal in handmade items, and the rest offer an assortment of food and other retail products.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: May 26. 2008 9:00PM