Events/Festivals

The Brinnon ShrimpFest is a weekend festival celebrating Hood Canal Spot Shrimp and other local seafood. Held on the 4th weekend in May it lures hungry shrimpers from all over the Northwest to fish Hood Canal’s rich waters. The Fest features craft booths, food booths, belt sander races, exhibits, live music, kids’ activities and so much more. Bring along your favorite decorated belt sander to enter the races that will be held at 1:00 pm each day. The tides are usually low enough during this weekend for easy harvest of clams and oysters on the public beaches near the festival, (license required) and the weather is traditionally good during this holiday weekend. This is great family fun and it’s FREE too! ShrimpFest will again be in the grassy field on the north side of the Dosewallips River on the East side of Hwy. 101. Proceeds from ShrimpFest 2008 will be donated to community projects. The festival began in 1994. Over the years, the proceeds have benefited our community through donations to the Brinnon School and the Brinnon Volunteer Ambulance & Firefighters Association, Brinnon and Quilcene Community Centers as well as many other community projects.  Check out the Emerald Towns Alliance listing in our Business Categories for flyer or visit www.emeraldtowns.org

Quilcene Fair and Parade, rolls out the 3rd week of September. Our community fair is steeped in tradition. Local clubs and organizations pull out their finest costumes and it’s not unusual to see decorated log trucks and tractors. For reasons we can’t determine, some Vikings even attend each Parade, but the crowd catcher every year is the Burn-Out. Contestants from row upon row of beautiful classic cars make lots of noise and have their tread marks measured. Come see the sights and support local craftspeople.  For further information contact lisahames@usbank.com.

Heritage Days, a festival celebrating the history of our area, is held annually in Quilcene on the 4th weekend of April. Plan a visit to the Quilcene Historical Museum for a glimpse into the beginnings of our rich and fascinating past. Volunteer docents can help you research artifacts and ancestry.

Mark your calendars for the Olympic Art Festival on December 12th, 2009. There are also 3 festivals in 2010 that take place on May 29-30, September 4, and December 11 from 10-5 at the Olympic Art Gallery. Many of the featured artists will be providing booths and demonstrations.  For further information about the artists visit the Olympic Art Gallery website, or email info@olympicartgallery.com, or phone Sally Brown at (360) 765-0200. Come, enjoy the art in the village between the Quilcene Rivers!

Many of these festivals coincide with the peak of rhododendron flowering, which can be enjoyed at several local nurseries (including the breathtaking Whitney Gardens in Brinnon). Wild rhododendrons are abundant in the forests and along the highways and grow to amazing heights.

The Olympic Music Festival   

Presents concerts, in an old barn with astonishing acoustics. They offer sublime weekend performances by the Philadelphia String Quartet and other renowned chamber groups. These are open to the public all summer from June through the middle of September.

http://www.olympicmusicfestival.org/

December brings Christmas tree hunters to our National Forest Stations for permits and directions. It also offers the Emerald Towns Tree Festival and lighting contest.