PORT TOWNSEND —
The biggest festival of the year for Port Townsend, the 35th annual Wooden Boat Festival, is bringing thousands of nautical enthusiasts to town this weekend. (Bring your sunglasses — it’s sunny!)
The event is centered at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., in downtown Port Townsend; the adjacent Point Hudson Marina; and other nearby venues.
More than 300 wooden vessels are on display, ranging from kayaks to tall ships, classic powerboats to working vessels.
You can take a sail on Port Townsend’s harbor aboard the 98-year-old tall ship Adventuress. You can help raise sail and even take the helm ($25-$55; phone 206-353-6119 now for reservations). Proceeds support the vessel and its environmental education and youth development programs.
There are also scores of presentations and demonstrations by wooden-boat experts plus festival vendors.
And music — from sea chanties to rock to folk music.
Admission: Today-only: $10-$15; full weekend, $20-$30, includes tours of boats at the festival; most presentations and demonstrations by exhibitors; music; kids’ activities, and food vendors.
For more information: 360-385-3628, Ext. 106, or www.woodenboat.org/festival.
New videos
Here are new videos from the Wooden Boat Festival posted today by freelance multimedia reporters Nina Jurczynski and Jack Olmsted:
Interview with Captain Roger Slade — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ0U8cUrC08
Getting the scoop on tasty corn on the cob at the the festival — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rth_2G_8DtA
Interview with vendor from Lopez Island Creamery about their ice cream at the festival — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-S-CWGuOpM
T-shirt fashion at the festival — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP_jVLQfILQ
Interviews with several women making creative waves at the festival cutting up their t-shirts and setting
a trend — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gyka-EjYZE
Interview with Northwest singer/songwriter Ali Marcus after her performance at the festival (Marcus also sings her song, “Wapato”) — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P90ldn-8vqc
Two other Wooden Boat Festival videos were posted by Jurczynski and Olmsted on Friday:
Interview with Jake Beattie, Wooden Boat Foundation director — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbY64BoRGE4
Interview with Kaci Cronkhite, festival director — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVNkrdvtLRY