Quilcene Fair and Parade expands to two days

QUILCENE — Now continuing throughout two days, the Quilcene Fair and Parade invites you to “linger longer” this weekend.

The fair, going on Saturday from 11 a.m. to dusk and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature plenty of food, carnival rides, a parade, the traditional “All Quilcene Photo” op, live entertainment, arts and crafts, and a raffle at Quilcene School, 294715 U.S. Highway 101.

The fair was extended into two days to unofficially combine forces with the Quilcene Oyster Half Marathon, 10K and 5K races Sunday morning and potentially draw runners to its events, organizer Linda Lindquist said.

The theme for 2017 rings: “Still a Great Place to Linger Longer,” with watercolor art by Andrea Pleines to match the moniker: a girl and her dog fishing off a dock amid a backdrop of Mount Walker.

The same poster was used in 1996, so Pleines aimed to make the girl appear older by adding more clothing, Lindquist said. At that time, the fair’s theme was a “great place to linger longer,” she said, and today, it still is.

The weekend will kick off with a $5 breakfast Saturday prepared by the Quilcene High School Vocational Cooking Club. Take your seat at 8:30 a.m. in the cafeteria and fill up before the parade starts at 11 a.m.

Per tradition, local dignitaries will ride in the parade.

Jim Hodgson, who taught music at Quilcene High for 25 years, will serve as grand marshal.

The king and queen of this year’s fair are Don and Thais Svedich, who both drive school buses in the Quilcene School District and work for Quilcene Fire Rescue — Don as deputy chief and training/wildland fire coordinator and Thais as a volunteer.

Norm Johnson takes the title of Citizen of the Year for his involvement on the fair board and contribution to the Coyle community.

Eighty-three-year-old Barbara McClary is the fair’s Pioneer Citizen. Born in Quilcene in 1937, McClary started her career at age 16 operating switchboards. She’s one of the oldest living graduates of Quilcene High, Lindquist said.

The Educators of the Year are Erika Weller, program teacher for Partnership for Excellence in Alternative Remote Learning (PEARL) and paraprofessional Marji Mueller.

Immediately after the parade, the Quilcene community will gather on Highway 101 near the bank to snap the traditional “All Quilcene Photo.”

The always-popular salmon bake, served by the Quilcene Booster Club, will take place sometime around noon Saturday, though an official time has not been set, Lindquist said.

Then, carnival games, live entertainment, vendor booths, an arts and crafts show, a photography contest and a gardening club show offer a range of things to see and do Saturday.

Sunday’s schedule will look nearly the same, except for the parade, Lindquist said.

She said the fair board played special attention to the lineup of bands this year, which include mountain blues band The Hucksters, Latin/world music duo Correo Aereo, western soul band Famous Lucy, local favorite Joy in Mudville and recitative/folk singer Robert Sarazin Blake.

The last event planned for Sunday is the Quilcene Fair Board Raffle, which will award more than 100 prizes. For a list of raffle prizes, visit quilcenefair.com/raffle.

The schedule of the fair follows:

Saturday

• 8:30 a.m. — Quilcene High School Vocational Cooking Club breakfast takes place in Quilcene School’s cafeteria.

• 9 a.m. — Sign in parade entries at the US Bank parking lot, 14890 Center Road; vendor booths open.

• 11 a.m. — Parade begins. Immediately after, the annual “All Quilcene Photo” will be snapped in the middle of Highway 101 near US Bank.

• 11 a.m. — Cascade Amusements Carnival officially opens, though it will be operational today by 4 p.m.

• Noon — The Hucksters perform.

• 1:30 p.m. — Correo Aereo performs.

• 3 p.m. — Famous Lucy performs.

Sunday

• 9 a.m. — Vendor booths open.

• 11 a.m. — Cascade Amusements Carnival opens.