PORT ANGELES — Some 12,000 people are expected to fish for crab, learn how to cook crab and just plain eat crab at the fifth annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival here this weekend.
Crab won”t be all there is to eat. Organizers promise fresh wild salmon, oysters and other seafood.
But the focus of the festival is the Dungeness crab, a type of crustacean that got its internationally-known name from the small town of Dungeness that once existed between Port Angeles and Sequim.
Dungeness crab is available all along the West Coast, but at one time it was primarily shipped, along with much of the area’s timber, from Dungeness.
“The crab ended up being called Dungeness crab because of the town it was shipped from,” said Scott Nagel, co-producer and marketing director.
The 5,000 pounds or so of crab expected to be consumed during the festival this weekend are Dungeness crab caught in Dungeness Bay. It’s difficult to get more authentic than that.
“It’s right out of the water and into the pots,” said Nagel.
Crab feed tonight
Local folks will get first crack at the crab at tonight’s Community Crab Feed from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“This is a preview of the festival,” said Nagel.
“It’s the first time we’ve done it.
“It’s for local people to get in there before the crowds arrived.”
Tonight’s feed will include large kettles of fresh crab, with Nash’s fresh organic corn and coleslaw, wine and beer and desserts from Friends of the Field — fruit pies made with local crops.
“The food is just exceptional,” said Nagel.
The feed is $18 per person.
Nagle said he has no idea how many will show.
“There’s room for 400” in the 8,500 square foot circus tent of the John L. Scott Crab Central Pavilion, he said.
“The big circus tent creates its own atmosphere,” he said.
Crab Central Pavilion is at the corner of Front and Lincoln streets in the CrabHouse restaurant parking lot.
Festival offerings
The full festival opens on Saturday with plenty of food — 10 restaurants will be in the big tent — a crab derby, cooking demonstrations and arts and crafts.
The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is free.
The Grab-a-Crab Derby will be the main focus on City Pier.
“This is totally amazing for the entire family,” said Nagel.
“There are two giant tanks with hundreds of crab and you fish for the crabs.”
Anyone who catches a crab — and most people catch at least one if not six or seven, said Nagel — is entered into a drawing for gift certificates and cash prizes.
Each crab caught means another entry into the drawing, which occurs at 5 p.m. each day. The grand prize is $300.
The opportunity to catch as many crabs as possible in 10 minutes costs $5.
To keep a crab costs $10, and they are cooked and cleaned at no additional cost.
If you want to cook your own seafood, you can learn tips from local and international chefs at the cooking and food preparation demonstrations planned in the First Federal Savings & Loan Education Pavilion.
The demonstrations run all day each day and include chefs from local restaurants aw well as eateries Seattle and Victoria.
Other activities are offered during the festival weekend.
More than 55 craft and information booths will be available. Kayaks and bicycles can be rented.
Music can be heard, and a dozen restaurants around town plan seafood specials for the weekend.
“It’s a great family experience. We have things for everybody,” said Nagel.
