PORT ANGELES — The ninth annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival begins Friday night and runs all day Saturday and Sunday.
Best known as simply “Crabfest,” the festival is an annual celebration of the region’s diverse bounty — the seafood, agriculture and maritime traditions, and the coastal environment that is home to the Dungeness crab.
The festival takes place downtown at the Port Angeles City Pier, Gateway Center and Red Lion Hotel.
Admission to the festival is free, as are some of the activities.
There is a cost for crabs, other food and some of the other events.
An old-fashioned crab feed with kettles of fresh, locally caught whole crabs ready to be served with fresh corn and coleslaw will be in the 8,000-square-foot Windermere Real Estate Crab Central food tent each day.
There will be live music and wine tasting provided by the Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association, plus Northwest beer and other beverages.
Food located at Crab Central and throughout the grounds will include: crab cakes, grilled wild salmon, fish tacos, crab enchiladas, crab Rangoon, clam chowder, crab bisque, seafood gumbo, Northwest paella, fish and chips, crab puppies, barbecue oysters, oyster shooters, steamed clams, oyster stew, mussels, grilled scallops, roasted corn and potatoes, oyster po’boy, baked goods including sweets and savories, local homemade organic berry and pumpkin pies, and more.
“Locals only’ Friday
Crabfest kicks off with the special “locals only” Community Crab Feed sponsored by the Peninsula Daily News (yes, any tourists in town can attend, too).
It will be held in the Crab Central food tent at the Red Lion from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday.
A coupon for $5 off the regular $25 price for a crab dinner (whole crab, hot or chilled, with sweet corn and coleslaw) is on Page C3 of today’s PDN.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The High Tide Seafood and Wilder Auto Grab-A-Crab Tank Derby will run Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Port Angeles Pier.
A $5 entry fee allows participants to crab, using snares and bait, for 10 minutes; no license or gear needed.
Festival volunteers will demonstrate how to catch, cook and clean the crabs.
Whole cooked or uncooked crabs may be purchased.
The First Federal Education Program will present a chef demonstration stage at The Gateway center.
There will be an educational area on City Pier with environmental and marine exhibits.
Also on the pier will be more than 60 craft and merchant booths, children’s activities, food and picnic tables.
On Hollywood Beach, there will be a volleyball tournament and a raptor demonstration by Northwest Raptor and Wildlife Center at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10.
Crabfest is produced by Olympic Peninsula Celebrations and the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Presenting sponsors are Westport Shipyard and the Elwha River Casino.
Other sponsors include Black Ball Ferry Line, First Federal, High Tide Seafood, Jim’s Pharmacy, Olympic Restaurant Equipment Inc., Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Peninsula Daily News, Red Lion Hotel, Wilder Auto and Windermere Real Estate.
A portion of the festival proceeds will be channeled to watershed education in the Dungeness River and Dungeness Bay habitats and other environmental educational organizations, including the Feiro Marine Life Center.
For more information visit www.crabfestival.org, e-mail info@crabfestival.org, or phone 360-452-6300.
