By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – The 22nd Annual Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival is this Friday through Sunday on the waterfront.
The festival seems to get bigger and better every year, and next year they will be moving out of the big Red Lion Hotel parking lot to a new location near the Field Arts and Events Hall, so this will be the end of a long tradition.
As always, keep in mind that Saturday will be the biggest day for tourists at the festival, including the arrival of Canadians on the Coho Ferry, so locals may want to come down on Friday and Sunday.
Knowing how many crabs to purchase and cook has always involved a bit of educated guesswork on the part of organizers. Festival Director Scott Nagel says they’re trying something new this year to give locals a way to buy their crab dinners ahead of the festival and save $10 at the same time.
“We can’t really have a lot of extra dinners hanging around. We have dinners to buy if you want to just show up, but we will run out by Sunday. So, to guarantee it, just buy your dinner in advance. But for the very local people here in town, we’re having for the first time in many years, a crab-flash. And that is that we’ve got full dinners, guaranteed for 30 dollars, $10 off the usual 40. But only if you go pick them up at Port Book and News or at the Chamber of Commerce.”
That discount is only available through Thursday.
The festival has always had loads of restaurants serving dishes heavy on the seafood, but this year nine new restaurants will be on site, including Cajun food and southern barbecue coming from out of town.
Something else that’s new this year is the 210-foot US Coast Guard Cutter Alert is coming to town, offering free tours of the ship on Saturday and Sunday. But you have to sign up in advance at crabfestival.org under “Events”.
As we mentioned, this is the last year the big tent will be in the hotel parking because the hotel is expanding into that area next year. Nagel says the festival has outgrown it anyway.
“But we’re just moving down basically one block. So now, instead of being east of Laurel, we’re west of Laurel. So, we’ll be around the Waterfront Center, which is Field Hall, and Pebble Beach Park, which, if people haven’t been to, it’s spectacular. So, we’ll actually have more and better room that we have there and and everything will be in one place.”
The 22nd Annual Crab and Seafood Festival, this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, downtown Port Angeles. Go to crabfestival.org to see a map and learn more.