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PORT TOWNSEND — Marching crayons, ballerina dogs, carnival hucksters, the pink coats, floats and high school bands: They’ll all come together in a menagerie of sites and sounds for the annual Rhododendron Festival beginning Saturday.
The weeklong festival is laid-back for its first few days, but it gradually builds until the crescendo of the Grand Parade on May 19.
One might notice an unusual number of bicyclists out for a ride Saturday and not connect them to the Rhododendron Festival. But they’re the vanguard of the festival, pedaling the 32-, 45-, 55- and 62-mile routes of the Rhody Bike Tour.
Also beginning Saturday is the Arts and Crafts Fair in the parking lot behind Port Townsend City Hall, which runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all week.
Then all is quiet again for a few days as the town holds its breath before the flurry of parades.
See the full schedule of Rhododendron Festival events on the link below, or consult this weekend’s Peninsula Spotlight magazine, on sale Friday and Saturday throughout Jefferson and Clallam Counties, for full coverage of the festival.