A three-day holiday weekend, with toe-tapping music, dance, story-telling, a film festival, merriment and native shrimp.
What more could anyone want?
The North Olympic Peninsula’s best attributes come out this weekend as the summer season arrives, even though summer isn’t officially here until June 21.
Why go away on vacation when it’s all here?
In addition to the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts, Spring Barrel Tasting and Shrimpfest — described on this page and inside today’s Peninsula Spotlight, the PDN’s weekly entertainment guide published every Friday, and other events in “Things to Do This Weekend” on Page C9 today:
Even more music
* Children’s Choir Festival Concert at Fort Worden State Park’s McCurdy Pavilion, 3 p.m. Saturday. Nine children’s choirs — 300 voices — from Washington, California and British Columbia, combined and separate.
Guest conductor is Rebecca Rottsolk of Port Townsend.
Tickets are $10 adults, $7 students and are available by calling 360-895-3200, or at the door one hour before the performance.
* Aimed at teens but for all ages, the Rock During Rhody begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St., and features the Schoolyard Heroes, The Inkreats, The Blakes, Vatara, Another Lost Hero and Deferred Prosecution, a pop punk band from Sequim whose members are 12 and 13 years old.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
This concert is presented by Promoter Kid Productions.
Advance tickets, $8, are available at Quimper Sound, 901 Water St., Port Townsend; $10 at the door.
* Washington Old Time Fiddlers Association members perform traditional fiddle tunes and old-time country music from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Port Townsend Masonic Lodge, 1338 Jefferson.
PA halibut derby
Close to More than 1,000 sport fishermen are expected to gather for the sixth annual Port Angeles Halibut Derby on Saturday and Sunday.
One of the largest fishing contests in the state, the event offers $5,000 cash for the largest halibut and lesser cash prizes through 30th place.
For more information, see Matt Schubert’s outdoors column on Page B1 (sports) today.
Sekiu Memorial Day Fly-in Brunch
All private pilots are invited to fly in to the Sekiu Airport for a pancake breakfast between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Check out more than 250 sailboats in this year’s Swiftsure international yacht race in the Strait of Juan de Fuca off Victoria before you land. (See Page 11 of today’s Peninsula Spotlight.)
Trees and gardens
* North Olympic Timber Action Committee is hosting its fifth annual tree give-away from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Green Crow Co., 805 E. Eighth St., Port Angeles, on Saturday.
Silver fir, Douglas fir, spruce and cedar will be available in limited quantities.
The trees will need to be planted immediately. Planting instructions will be available.
These are not ornamental trees. They are used by commercial timberland owners to replant a newly harvested site and will grow very large.
* The Garden Club, serving Quilcene and Brinnon, will have its annual garden club sale beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Quilcene Community Center, 294952 U.S. Highway 101, with a wide variety of Japanese maples (donated by two specialty growers, plants), container gardens and bouquets for sale. Pie and ice cream will also be sold.
* Swan School Garden Party & Sale is at the Bishop Victorian Hotel gardens from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
This event includes food, music, kids’ craft projects, a raffle and garden gifts for sale. Proceeds help ready the school’s two new buildings. Free. (See story and photo on Page C9 today).
* WSU Master Gardener Plant Clinic provides diagnoses of plant and garden problems at the Port Townsend Farmers Market, on Tyler Street between Lawrence and Clay streets, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday. Please bring a sample of the plant in question.
Shepherds’ Festival
Organizers are putting the final touches on plans for a “wild and woolly” 24th annual Shepherds’ Festival 2006 at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday.
The event is sponsored by the Olympic Peninsula Fibergrowers Association. Admission is free.
There will be a petting farm hosted by the Lambchops 4-H Club, spinning and weaving demonstrations by the North Olympic Shuttle & Spindle Guild, beautiful arts and crafts and handmade items, herding dog demonstrations, sheep shearing demonstrations, and great food.
For more information call Cyndie Stumbaugh at 360-683-6495.
