EDITOR’S NOTE: The PDN Community Crab Feed today (Friday) is from noon to 10 p.m., four hours longer than was originally published.
PORT ANGELES — You don’t have to walk sideways to the Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, but, given the crowds that traditionally attend the fall feast, you may find yourself scuttling along.
The three-day event that celebrates the Northwest’s best-loved 10-legged critter starts at noon today with a 10-hour-long Community Crab Feed at City Pier, Lincoln Street and Railroad Avenue.
Helping to launch this year’s festival will be crew members from the Coast Guard cutter Cuttyhunk, who will help set up, staff and strike the event.
“The crew loves doing stuff for the community,” said Scott Nagel, executive director of the festival that will feature ocean fare from 14 restaurants, cooking demonstrations, the Grab-A-Crab Derby, live music, arts and crafts, and beer and wine.
Cultural and environmental happenings will include a blessing, singing, drumming and dancing at a welcoming ceremony by members of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe at 11 a.m. Saturday; weekend-long programs at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Discovery Center and the Feiro Marine Life Center, both adjacent to City Pier; and booths by the Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration Project, the Dungeness Lighthouse and other environmental groups, with information and hands-on activities.
Except where noted, events are free. Pets are permitted but not in the food tent.
Copies of the Peninsula Daily News’s 20-page special section on the festival are available at the newspaper office, 305 W. First St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. today. Online details are available at www.crabfestival.org.
An at-a-glance schedule of events:
Today
■  Noon to 6 p.m. — Arts, crafts and information booths open on City Pier.
■  Noon to 10 p.m. — PDN Community Crab Feed featuring eight restaurants, a raw shellfish bar and live music. More than 900 seats will be under cover at the Kitsap Bank Central Big Top Pavilion. Reduced cost for today’s full crab dinner: $25.
Saturday
■  9 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association exhibitions and “learn to row” seminar, Hollywood Beach.
■ 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Registration for Crab Fest 5K Fun Run, Olympic Discovery Trail. A fee of $30, includes a T-shirt, $4 discount coupon for a crab dinner, drink ticket and free entry to the Grab-A-Crab Derby, and benefits the Peninsula College Athletic Department.
■ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Grab-A-Crab Derby, City Pier.
■ 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Port Angeles Likes Bikes secure corral open, The Gateway, First and Lincoln streets.
■  10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Arts, crafts, information and food booths open, City Pier.
■  11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. — Lower Elwha Drum Group welcoming ceremony, The Gateway pavilion.
■  11 a.m. to 10 p.m. — Crab Feed, raw shellfish bar, live music, Kitsap Bank Central Big Top Pavilion. Cost: $29 for a full crab dinner, $15 for a half-crab dinner.
■  11 a.m. — Fun Run begins, City Pier.
■  11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Chefs’ demonstrations, The Gateway pavilion.
■  2 p.m. — Coast Guard search-and-rescue demonstration, City Pier.
Sunday
■  9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. — Crab Revival musical, nondenominational service, The Gateway.
■  10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Arts, crafts and food booths open, City Pier.
■  10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Bikes secure corral continues.
■  10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Grab-A-Crab Derby, City Pier.
■  10 a.m. to noon — Professional and amateur cooks participate in the Captain Joseph House Chowder Cook-off, The Gateway transit lanes.
■  11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Crab Feed, raw shellfish bar, live music. Cost for dinner: $29 for full crab dinner, $15 for half-crab dinner. Kitsap Bank Central Big Top Pavilion.
■  11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Chefs’ demonstrations, The Gateway pavilion.
■  Noon to 2 p.m. — Chowder Cook-off public tasting, The Gateway transit lanes. Tickets: $10, to benefit Captain Joseph House.
■  2 p.m. — Chowder Cook-off awards.
■  5 p.m. — Festival ends.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
