PORT ANGELES — The sun came out for the Port Angeles Nor’wester Rotary Arts in Action Festival, delighting both vendors and festival-goers with a high temperature of 73 Saturday and 78 degrees Sunday.
It was so warm that vendor Jim Queen, 66, of Sequim, had to rotate his display stock into a large ice chest so that it would not melt.
Queen creates and sells chocolate truffles, which were melting quickly in the hot afternoon sun.
“I’d like it to be a little cooler,” he said.
So did many of the dogs and children, who wilted until they were led to shady areas.
Many dog owners took their dogs to nearby Hollywood Beach to play in the water, and some rested in the shade under trees on City Pier.
For others, the warm day was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Sunny, successful festival
“It’s been a very good weekend,” said Doc Reiss, co-chairman of the Arts in Action committee.
The weather was perfect and the people showed up in large numbers, Reiss said Sunday.
“On Saturday some vendors were running out of food,” he said.
The festival actually made a profit this year, Reiss said
Profits from the festival are used for community projects and for scholarships.
It will be several weeks before the festival organizers know the total profit, he said.
Vendors found little to complain about.
“It’s not too shabby,” said Jeanine Dodson, who sold art-glass jewelry and gifts.
“The weather was a plus — there are lots of people, Dodson said.
Sales of smoked sea salt were only so-so for the Olympic Mountaineers lacrosse club, said Terri Sugg, secretary of the club.
But, “We’ve done better here than in Sequim last week,” Sugg said, referring to the rain that doused last weekend’s lavender events.
The team sells the gourmet salt as a fundraiser to help cover their costs.
The team was also present to recruit new players for the combined Port Angeles and Sequim sports club, which is working to expand to include both boys and girls’ squads at the middle and high school level.
Ed Coffman of New Windsor, N.Y., was the longest-traveled vendor of the arts festival.
Coffman designs and carves wood-inlaid furniture, frames and “paintings.”
He sold several of the pricey creations this weekend, many of which cost more than $1,000.
“I was lucky,” Coffman said.
“You really have to have the right piece at the right time,” he said.
Chalk and sand
An early wind threatened to blow away a three-dimensional chalk painting by Ian Morris, a veteran chalk artist from Victoria.
The wind calmed early Friday and Morris was able to complete the whimsical painting, located on the walkway in front of Smuggler’s Landing at The Landing mall at 115 E. Railroad Ave.
People lined the walkway above Hollywood Beach to see the sand sculptures created by eight world-class sand sculptures for the ninth annual Windermere Sand Sculpture Classic.
Others paid the $2 fee to see the sculptures up-close.
On Sunday the sculpture “Sumo,” by Carl Jara of Cleveland, was announced as the People’s Choice Award winner.
Jara received $300 for being chosen the people’s favorite.
“Sumo” also tied for Sculptor’s Choice.
The official weekend show ended Sunday, but the sculpture gallery will remain in place for as long as they stand, Reiss said.
They are expected to last through Tuesday, but with the right conditions, some could stand for as long as a week before they crumble back into piles of sand, he said.
“Once they are down, the kids can have at the sand,” he said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.