SEQUIM — Even a pandemic can’t stop Washington’s oldest, longest, continuous running festival from continuing this weekend.
The 126th annual Sequim Irrigation Festival Kick-off is this Saturday. The 2021 royalty float will be revealed, followed by dinner and auctions.
Kickoff dinner organizer Robin Bookter said locals can tune into the virtual reveal at 4:45 p.m., which will be at 7 Cedars Casino at www.irrigationfestival.com and facebook.com/SequimIrrigationFestival to see the float for the first time.
Dinner tickets are closed, but right after the float reveal, silent and live auction items will begin online with entries available to bid on at www.kickoff2021.givesmart.com.
Anyone can register and bid even without a dinner ticket.
The kickoff serves as a benefit for the festival’s operations, volunteer organizers said.
Bookter said organizers encourage participants to take photos and tag them with #RomingSequim and/or post them on the festival’s Facebook page.
This year’s festival is branded “Sequim, A Place For You to Rome.”
In February, organizers held the festival’s first virtual royalty scholarship pageant with judges choosing Sequim High School junior Hannah Hampton to lead the court of princesses Allie Gale, Zoee Kuperus and Sydney VanProyen.
They’ll be part of the Grand Parade, which will be a virtual procession similar to last October’s event, which is set to run at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 8.
Bookter said winners of auction items can pick them up between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday from the casino with a royal court member handing out each item.
For more information about the festival, visit www.irrigationfestival.com.
