Thanks everyone for attending the Sequim Lavender Weekend!
Be sure to SAVE THE DATE for next year July 15, 16, & 17, 2016.
Sequim Lavender Festival 2016. A world class street fair, lavender farms, and a host of community events make the Sequim Lavender Weekend one of the biggest lavender celebrations in the country.
For close to two decades, Sequim and the surrounding Dungeness Valley have been internationally recognized as the premier growers of this fragrant herb. Family owned farms are prized for the special attention they give to growing the finest lavender in the country. Sequim is bursting with activity during this three day celebration of everything lavender the third weekend in July.
This website is updated as new events and details are finalized. Check back often for the latest information.
The City of Sequim is proud to produce the official event map for Sequim Lavender Weekend providing an overview of all of the events occurring during the weekend for the convenience of our visitors.
All of the farms have different activities and featured events during the weekend. Please check the official program, the information on this website, and individual farm and community organization websites for more details on their events.
Looking for a place to stay? Enjoy a great breakfast at the Historic Blue Gull Inn B&B located in Port Townsend. Great dining, shopping and beaches await your visit to the Olympic Peninsula. Have fun at the Lavender Festival.
Find Port Townsend, WA. Perched at the northeast tip of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend is a magical combination of land and sea, with panoramic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, as well as the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.
Getting to Port Townsend is half of the fun! Located a short ferry ride from the Seattle metro area – it generally takes around two hours to get here from Seattle. You can also drive north from the Portland and Olympia area along scenic Highway 101. If you come from Vancouver, you can drive to Whidbey Island and take a ferry direct to Port Townsend.
Download the official map of Port Townsend (includes historic places).
From Downtown Seattle via Seattle/Bainbridge Island Ferry
Take the Washington State Ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island (the ferry crossing is 35 minutes). Follow HWY 305 for approximately 12 miles to HWY 3 in Poulsbo. Take HWY 3 North for approximately 7 miles to the Hood Canal Bridge. Turn left onto the bridge which becomes HWY 104, take the 104 for 6.7 miles turn right onto Beaver Valley Road/WA-19. Continue to follow WA-19 for 14.1 miles (WA-19 becomes WA-20) go another 3 miles and you have reached Port Townsend.
From South of Seattle or Tacoma
From I-5 South to Tacoma take the Gig Harbor/Bremerton exit 132 to WA-16 W. Follow WA-16 W (27 miles). WA-16 W becomes WA-3 N in Gorst (25 miles). Turn left onto WA-104 W and cross Hood Canal Bridge continue on the 104 for 6.7 miles turn right onto Beaver Valley Road/WA-19. Continue to follow WA-19 for 14.1 miles (WA-19 becomes WA-20) go another 3 miles and you have reached Port Townsend.
From Edmonds or North of Seattle via Edmonds/Kingston Ferry
Take Washington State Ferry from Edmonds to Kingston (approx 25 minutes). Follow WA-104 West for approximately 10 miles through Port Gamble to the Hood Canal Bridge. Turn right and cross Hood Canal Bridge continue on the 104 for 6.7 miles turn right onto Beaver Valley Road/WA-19. Continue to follow WA-19 for 14.1 miles (WA-19 becomes WA-20) go another 3 miles and you have reached Port Townsend.
From Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Leaving Airport, head West on South 170th Street toward Military Road South. (0.16 miles). Turn Left onto Military Road South (1.38 miles). Turn left onto S 188th Street (0.03 miles). Merge onto I-5 South toward Portland (19.63 miles). Merge onto WA-16 West via Exit number 132 toward Gig Harbor/ Bremerton (27.08 miles). WA-16 West becomes WA-3 North. (25.33 miles). Turn left onto WA-104 W and cross Hood Canal Bridge continue on the 104 for 6.7 miles turn right onto Beaver Valley Road/WA-19. Continue to follow WA-19 for 14.1 miles (WA-19 becomes WA-20) go another 3 miles and you have reached Port Townsend.
From Victoria, British Columbia via Victoria/Port Angeles Ferry
Take the Victoria-Port Angeles ferry (90 minute crossing). Click here to view schedules and fares. Ferry exits onto Laurel St .2 miles. Turn left onto E. Railroad St. 0.1 miles, take 1st right onto N. Lincoln St./US 101 E. and continue for 34.2 miles. Turn left onto WA-20, go 7.8 miles and turn left to stay on WA-20 for another 3 miles and you have reached Port Townsend.
From Vancouver, British Columbia via Keystone/Port Townsend Ferry
Follow Provincial Route 99 south to border crossing. Provincial Route 99 S. becomes I-5 S. Go 46.1 miles take exit 230 toward WA-20/Burlington/Anacortes. Go .4 miles turn right onto WA-20 E. make a U-turn onto WA-20 W. Go 11.8 miles turn left onto WA-20 and continue 16.4 miles turn right to stay on WA-20, go 9.5 miles turn right onto S. Main St. go 0.6 miles (S. Main St. becomes Engle Rd.), go 3.3 miles. Take the Port Townsend-Keystone Ferry. You are now in downtown Port Townsend.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Jefferson Transit provides public transportation in our area. Whether your drive or not, we encourage you to park your car in the Haines Place Park-N-Ride Lot and use Jefferson Transit buses and downtown shuttles to get around Port Townsend.
The Park-N-Ride is located next to Safeway on Hwy 20. View Jefferson Transit’s map showing the Downtown Shuttle route and the location of the Park-N-Ride.
June 2016 Events – Port Townsend, WA. Tickets are on sale now for The Taste of Port Townsend, Thursday, June 14th, 2012 from 4pm-7:30 pm.
The Taste of Port Townsend is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Port Townsend Main Street Program, a 5013c nonprofit founded in 1985.“Committed to the historic preservation and economic vitality of our historic business districts … while maintaining our small town quality of life.
“A fun Experience—Great Food”
“Seriously YUM” Taste of PT Diners
One ticket gives you admission to all 12 dining spots on the tour:
Visit 6 of the 12 dining spots and enter to win THE TASTY PRIZE – Fabulous restaurant gift certificates!
* Indicates a required stop on the tour to enter to enter the Tasty Prize drawing.
Coming Your Way in May—Rhodies and Races, Food and Fun!
May 2016 Events – Port Townsend, WA
Rhody Festival is our unofficial kick off to Summer!
HISTORY OF THE RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL
May 2016 Events – Port Townsend, WA. In 1935, Clive Buttermere, a local businessman, convinced the Hearst
Metrotone News organization to come to Jefferson County and film the
rhododendrons in bloom. Hearst provided “short subjects”‘ to theaters throughout the
United States, and visited Jefferson County in that year to photograph the wild
rhododendrons. As a prelude to Hearst’s arrival, Mr. 8uttermere and the business
community organized a Queen competition so that there could be a group of young
women photographed with the rhododendrons. Nominations were made and the
community could vote on their favorite by shopping at participating merchants.
Dollars spent equaled votes. Myrtle Olsen was voted the first Rhododendron Queen and
filmed by Hearst.
The American Legion, having witnessed the enthusiasm of the community and
the festival spirit that was created, decided to make the celebration of the beauty of the
rhododendrons in bloom an annual event. In 1936 the first Rhododendron Festival
took Place. Royalty was chosen in the same manner and this process of selection
continued for several years. The first festival in 1936 was a one day event with a
parade. As the years progressed more events were added and the length of the
Festival grew. (Visit the Jefferson County Historical Society to see the old brochures)
The Festival was suspended during World War II (1942-45), and resumed in 1946.
The Chamber of Commerce took over the festival leadership in the early 1950’s
and more events were added until it grew to be a week-long celebration. Each year
brought different events: fat man’s race, boat race, golf tournament, baseball
tournament, air show, cow chip throwing contest, bed race, trike race, beard growing
contest, car show, kids’ parade, Queen’s Ball, and more. For many years, the
candidate who sold the most buttons was chosen Queen. During the early festivals,
the publicity tour only included members of Royalty, rather than candidates.
In the 1980’s the festival became a non-profit corporation and not affiliated with
any one group in the County. Volunteers chair the festival as well as serve as board
members. Royalty are provided scholarships from the association to pursue their
education. Button sales and contributions from community members and
businesses fund the festival. The annual budget is spent on candidates’ expenses,
Royalty expenses, float building and maintenance, travel expenses of the float crew
and Royalty to between 10 and 15 parades per year. The travel to other communities
is not only fun, but is a way of promoting Port Townsend and Jefferson County.
MAY
1 Art Wave Begins – Childrens’ Art in Stores
1 Opening Day of Boating Season
7 Art Walk – 5.30 p.m. – 8 p.m
7 Wearable Art Show
4 Walk a Mile In Her Shoes
11-15 Centrum Kitchen Culture
16-22 81 st Annual Rhododendron Festival
16 Rhody Royalty Handprints
18 Wooden Boat Wednesday
18 Rhody Trike Race
19 Rhody pet parade and Carnival
20 Rhody kiddies Parade, Bed Races, Hair and Beard contest
NW Wine & Cheese Tour. From new release fruit wines and ciders to locally-made artisan cheeses, the Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour will treat your taste buds to a realm of seasonal delights! Ten wineries located between Chimacum and Port Angeles will partner with local cheese-makers to create unique pairings that signify the flavors of the region, complemented by tasty tidbits prepared by local culinary talent. This savory event will take place on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 from 11 am – 5 pm. Wine specials will be available throughout the weekend.
“Our regional cheese-makers are producing some fantastic goat, sheep and cow milk cheeses that pair exceptionally well with our new wine releases,” says Vicki Corson, president of the Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association. “We invite wine lovers from around the Sound to come and discover some new favorites.”
Online ticket are available on Eventbrite until noon May 1 for $25 plus service fees. Remaining tickets may be purchased at participating wineries during the event for $30. The ticket and glass package entitles you to a special commemorative wine glass, complimentary wine tasting at all ten OPW Wineries and delectable samples of cheese at each winery during the NW Wine & Cheese Weekend. This event does not take place at one location. You travel from winery to winery, visiting the ones you are interested in exploring. Tickets are not required to attend this event. A $5.00 wine tasting fee will be charged at each winery for non-ticketed visitors. You must be 21 or over to purchase tickets and/or participate in wine tasting. All ticket sales are non-refundable.
The Olympic Peninsula Wineries encourage responsible wine touring and recommend that you have a designated driver in your group. Designated Drivers will be offered other beverages to drink and are invited to enjoy all cheese samples at each winery.
Remember:
Be prepared to show your ticket at each winery you visit to let us know you have checked-in.
Be prepared to show your photo I.D. at each winery
Please do not bring dogs to NW Wine and Cheese Tour. Some wineries welcome dogs on NON-EVENT days.
Each person in your party will need to be present when checking in, so the winery can check ID’s and distribute tickets
Please Help Us With Our Goal Of Responsible Wine Service…
No winery will continue to serve or sell wine to any guest who appears intoxicated, even if they have a limo or designated driver.
Be aware of those around you as you wait at the tasting bar for your sample, make room for others to enjoy the experience as well.
We recommend limiting the number of wines you sample at each winery and we encourage you to take advantage of dump buckets provided for excess wine.
Wineries Participating in the 2015 NW Wine & Cheese Tour:
1. Harbinger Winerywill pair some of its award-winning wines and new releases with the raw, organic cheeses of Cascadia Creamery, located at the foot of Mt. Adams in the town of Trout Lake, Wash. “The Northwest Wine & Cheese Festival is by far our favorite event,” says Winemaker Sara Gagnon. “Wine and cheese are soul mates, and we are always excited to share our research when it comes to creative pairings!” Try cheese samples with alluring names such as Sleeping Beauty, Glacier Blue, and Cloud Cap. Harbinger will also pour its wine made from locally grown grapes, Sieg-MA. “This wine has such an aromatic appeal; it is hard to put down the glass. Match that with the right cheese, and you may as well pull up a chair and call it dinner,” adds Gagnon.
2. Camaraderie Cellars will host Willapa Hills Creamery – delicious cheeses made from sheep and cow’s milk. Visitors can also savor tastybites of Northwest mac and cheese with smoked salmon from Michael’s Seafood and Steakhouse. New wine releases include the 2012 Malbec and 2012 Madrona.
3. Olympic Cellars is celebrating with a Cinco de Mayo theme! Jeremy from Golden Glenn Creamery of Bow, Wash. is back this year with samples of cheese favorites including Lavender Cheddar, Dill & Garlic Cheddar, and some new taste sensations like such as a Jalapeno spiked cheese. New wine releases for pairing include Madeleine Angevine 2014 made with locally sourced grapes; Chardonnay 2014, Unoaked with fragrances of mango, lemon peel and a fleeting whiff of truffle; and Dungeness Red – Lemberger 2013, an “Old World” grape with origins in Austria and Germany, this is Olympic Cellar’s heritage wine. Chef Dave from Bella Italia will prepare Chili, and Rose City Pepperhead’s Pepper Jelly with Cream Cheese will be available for sampling. Local jazz musician Al Harris will perform from Noon – 2 p.m. on Saturday.
4. Wind Rose Cellars will be pairing its award-winning wines with the award-winning cheeses of Chehalis’ Black Sheep Creamery. A new vintage of Bell Bottom White, a delicious off dry Muscato, will be released for the tour. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the winery will host jazz singer Jenny Davis and award-winning pianist Eric Verlinde. Both are Seattle natives, recording artists, and long-time stewards of jazz in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
5. Eaglemount Wine & Cider will be pairing its wines and ciders with cheeses from Whiskey Hill Goat Dairy, a small local producer of several varieties of aged goat milk cheese, and Crimson Cove Smoked Specialty, a smoke house located in Poulsbo specializing in smoked cheeses. New releases include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Rhubarb Cider and Raspberry Ginger Cider.
6. Alpenfire Cider will pair three hard ciders with Chimacum Valley Dairy’s West Valley Wheel Cheese and nut-based pastries from Port Townsend’s Pastry Design by Anca. Ciders include Spark! Semi-Sweet, a refreshingly light customer favorite made with a combination of Alpenfire’s traditional cider apples and Lazy J’s heirloom varieties; Calypso Blackberry Rum Cider, a full-bodied cider made from heirloom apples fermented with fresh Greysmarsh Farm blackberries and bottle conditioned; and Smoke Barrel Aged Cider, a smoky-oaky after dinner tipple style cider fermented in whiskey and mead barrels. Alpenfire’s organic small batch hard cider vinegars will also be available, from Orleans style to a bright, fermented raspberry wine vinegar made with berries from Greysmarsh Farm.
7. FairWinds Winery sample the Gewürztraminer with a cheesy fondue. Appetizers served with Mt. Townsend Creamery cheeses will be paired with the latest wine releases. Discover your own favorite combination of wines made with FairWinds’ innovative approach and Mt. Townsend’s one-of-a-kind cheeses.
8. Lullaby Winery will feature a curated selection of cheeses from France and the Pacific Northwest for pairing with its wines. The patio will be open and visitors will be able to purchase wines by the glass to enjoy with cheese platters.
9. Marrowstone Vineyard located in the town of Nordland on Marrowstone Island, is teaming up with Mt. Townsend Creamery to offer pairings of three new wine releases with delicious, locally made cheeses. Visitors can sample Cirrus, a Pacific Northwest variation on the traditional French Camembert, paired with 2014 Wedding Day Chardonnay; Seastack, an earthy and complex cheese, paired with the 2014 Riesling Come Home; Off-Kilter, a cheese made with Pike Brewing Company’s Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale that pairs nicely with the 2014 Gewürztraminer; and Red Alder, aged and nutty with the 2013 Black Cat Pinot Noir.
10. Finnriver Farm & Cidery is celebrating the sweetness of Spring with the release of its Honey Meadow botanical cider and honey-fermented Cyser. Enjoy these sips of the season with beautiful bites of chèvre from local goat dairy, Mystery Bay Farm, a small scale, family farm operating on five acres on nearby Marrowstone Island. Mystery Bay produces award-winning farmstead goat milk cheeses using only the milk of their animals, which are raised with rotational grazing on pasture. Visitors will also enjoy Pane D’Amore cheese sticks hot out of the oven! Cheese, cider, spring…what more could one ask?
Take a spring drive to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula and enjoy a tour that’s too good to miss!
Food Farms Arts Crafts Music More! Port Townsend Saturday Market, 2011 WA State Market of the Year
April 2016 – Events in Port Townsend, WA. The Port Townsend Saturday Market is a lively community hub in the center of up town Port Townsend. One of the largest small town markets in the nation, Port Townsend Saturday Market hasover 70 vendors each week including: 40 farms, 4 artisan cheese makers, 3 cideries, artisan bakers, espresso and coffee, herbal salves, soaps, and arts and crafts. Come get your groceries for the week, enjoy a delicious meal and live music. Open the first Saturday in April through the third Saturday in December, 9 am-3 pm from April through October, 10 am- 2 pm from November-December.
Check out the video of the Saturday Market.
Because once a week is not enough
Polk St, Port Townsend, WA 98368
April 2016 – Events in Port Townsend, WA. You have to cook everyday, and you don’t want to use produce that has been sitting around since Saturday. Wednesday is the perfect day to head back to the market. Its midweek, you can come after work- the market starts at 2:00. There’s food and music. It’s a great place to shop or relax on the grass.
The Wednesday market is a farm and food only market, no crafts. It is generally a more relaxed slower paced market than Saturday’s festival like atmosphere. Many of the same growers from the Saturday Market sell at Wednesday as well: Red Dog Farm, Midori, Finnriver, SpringRain and more. You will also find some other great local food from vendors including: Pane D’Amore and Crust.
APRIL 2016 – Events in Port Townsend, WA
2 PT Farmer’s Market Opens! 9am – 2pm
2 Art Walk – 5.30 p.m. – 8 p.m
9 JeffCo Library Book Sale
9 WBF Spring Symposium
15 Scandia Dinner
22 Wheel-in Drive-in Opens!
20 Wooden Boat Wednesday
22-23 Granny’s Attic at Cape George Colony
23 Earth Day Spring Clean up
23 WBF Maritime Swap Meet
23 PT Rotary Auction
23 PT Community Orchestra Concert Women in Jeopardy KCPT
March Events Port Townsend. Presented over two weekends, PT PlayFest features six winning one-acts by Jefferson County playwrights, open rehearsals of plays-in-progress, playwriting workshops, and more.
Jefferson County talent will be showcased in premieres of six plays by winning playwrights of the 2016 Port Townsend Arts Commission’s One-Act Play Competition: Christopher Clow, Doug Given, D.D. Wigley, Christopher Clow, Judith Glass Collins, and new playwright Hewitt Brooks. Three plays receive staged readings; three receive full productions.
“Locals Weekend” (March 3-6, 2016) features the winning one-acts and precedes the jam-packed “Festival Weekend” (March 10-13, 2016), with three days of back-to-back events.
Two notable regional playwrights were invited to spend a week in residence, workshopping their full-length plays in progress. In Richard Dresser’s “War Stories”, Master Sergeant Boyd Cassidy, a Vietnam vet, is in a high-end Phoenix hotel to finally receive the recognition he deserves after years of turmoil—until a knock at the door sends him into a horror more profound than anything he faced on the battlefield. In Duane Kelly’s “Escorting Tom”, Carol will be leaving her inept and isolated husband, but her secret plan to help him survive without her goes wildly off the rails.
KCPT’s featured guest playwright this year will be Darrah Cloud, whose play “The Posthumous Democrat”, the dramatic story of a composer, Catherine Starr, whose famous, connected conservative father leaves her a legacy both enormous and crippling. This full-length play will be directed by KCPT Artistic Director Denise Winter. Darrah will also be teaching the free playwriting workshop sponsored by the Port Townsend Arts Commission on Saturday, March 12, from 10 am – 1 pm. This will be followed by Darrah’s fee-based playwriting intensive Sunday, March 13, from 10 am – 1 pm (space is limited).
DETAILS:
To register for one or both of these workshops, e-mail boxoffice@keycitypublictheatre.org or call 360-379-0195.
The $35 Festival Pass grants access to all performance events both weekends. Writer’s Passes are $95 and additionally include the playwriting intensive taught by Darrah Cloud.
Single show tickets and passes are available from the Playhouse Box Office at 360-385-KCPT, or online at http://www.keycitypublictheatre.org/ptplayfest/
Port Townsend’s Victorian Festival 2016
Port Towsend’s Victorian Festival 2016
The 2016 Victorian Festival will celebrate Port Townsend’s extrordinary history and culture and is scheduled for March 18-20, 2016. Tickets now on sale!
Victorian Pub Crawl Friday Night
Kick off Friday night with our pub crawl – featuring saloons, “shanghai tunnels,” and fine vintage cocktails through a staggering selection of Port Townsends (in)famous watering holes.
Lectures, exhibitions and more
We invite you to celebrate the extraordinary Pacific Northwest history and architecture preserved in Port Townsend’s historic uptown and downtown districts.
Join us March 18-20, 2016
For a celebration of our region’s 19th Century history – bringing together scholars, enthusiasts and curiosity-seekers from across the Pacific Northwest.
March 18-20, 2016 Victorian Heritage Festival
Port Townsend and Fort Worden
Kick off the weekend with the Victorian Pub crawl, featuring saloons, “shanghai tunnels,” and fine vintage cocktails. Tour inside Victorian buildings, attend lectures, a Victorian fashion show and Ball plus much more.
We look forward to welcoming you to Port Townsend!
Whale Watching. For 30 years, Puget Sound Express has set the standard for exciting whale watching tours and wildlife tours around the Olympic Peninsula and the San Juan Islands. Puget Sound Express offers a variety of adventure cruises for you to choose from – all easily accessible from Seattle, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Peninsula:
Each spring, migrating gray whales pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, providing an excellent opportunity to visit and learn about these amazing mammals. We run half-day whale tours in March and April to see the grays.
PORT TOWNSEND DEPARTURES
March 5 – April 25, leave Port Townsend, Washington at 10am.
Port Townsend tours feature the 40-seat MV Red Head, and run approximately 3-4 hours. The waters that we travel in are protected and usually calm. The tour must have a minimum of 15 passengers for a departure.
SEATTLE/EDMONDS DEPARTURES
March 5 – April 25, leave Edmonds, Washington at 10am and 1pm
Our NEW Edmonds tour features the 60-seat, high speed foilcat MV Chilkat. These tours run approximately 2 hours and the waters that we travel in are protected and usually calm. The tour must have a minimum of 15 passengers for a departure.
See the majesty and beauty of orcas and humpback whales with Puget Sound Express’ new Seattle Watching Tours out of Edmonds!Ride theChilkat, our high speed foilcat, at speeds over 40 mph to the San Juan Islands. This is the fastest whale watching boat in the Northwest, and when you combine that with three generations of dedication and experience connecting Seattle visitors with the great outdoors – we guarantee you’ll see whales or your next trip is free! Tours begin in April. We leave at 9:00am and return at 2pm In July and August, we add a 2:30pm departure that returns at 7pm.
The perfect trip for visitors and travelers with a busy schedule! Departing in the morning, our fast and comfortable 40-seat Red Headseeks out orcas, minkes, humpbacks, and gray whales to give you a guaranteed whale watching experience in the San Juan Islands.
Trips run April – October, and feature an on-board naturalist. If the whales are “singing,” you’ll be able to hear them with our hydrophone.
Our signature tour, this daylong cruise on the Glacier Spirit combines orca watching with an on-board naturalist, and a tour of the beautiful San Juan Islands. We visit the popular town of Friday Harbor for shopping, island cuisine, and sightseeing.
This San Juan Islands trip is also the official passenger ferry route between Port Townsend and San Juan Island, and in addition to seeing killer whales, we often see minke whales, Stellar and California sea lions and Dall’s porpoises. The full-day tour runs May – September.
Join Puget Sound Express for exciting 3 day cruises through the San Juan Islands in Washington State. Selected by National Geographic as one of the World’s Top 3 destinations, the waters around the San Juan Islands are home to orcas (killer whales), minke whales, gray whales, humpback whales, stellar sea lions, porpoise, otters, and a dizzying array of seabirds.
Produced in partnership with the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, our three-hour Spring and Fall Bird Migration Cruises coincide with annual migrations of loons, phalaropes, mergansers, merlins, bald eagles, oystercatchers, harlequin ducks, murrelets, auklets, and more.
Naturalists from the Marine Science Center serve as on-board interpreters and provide commentary on local birds, mammals, geology, history and weather.
The Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society and Puget Sound Express invite you to take part in an amazing three-day birdwatching and wildlife cruise in the San Juan Islands of Washington State, April 12-14, 2016.
Tour Naturalist Bob Boekelheide (formerly Director of the Dungeness River Audubon Center) will be pointing out all the birds for us. In addition to wildlife and bird watching, we will visit and stay overnight at the historic Roche Harbor Resort, tour fascinating sites on San Juan Island, as well as Deception Pass near Whidbey Island.
Olympic Music Festival moves from Quilcene barn to Port Townsend theater
After 32 years, the Olympic Music Festival is moving from its beloved, rustic barn in Quilcene and joining forces with the Centrum Foundation in Port Townsend.
Olympic Music Festival New Site – Fort Worden State Park Port Townsend, WA
Olympic Music Festival moves in 2016. In a surprise move, the Olympic Music Festival has announced that it will leave the picturesque barn in Quilcene where, for the past 32 years, it has attracted prominent musicians to perform high-quality concerts in a dressed-down, rustic environment.
The barn, which is on Jefferson County property owned by violist and OMF founder Alan Iglitzin, also offered preconcert picnics on the lawn, as well as amplified sound — though without views of the stage — for those who preferred their Beethoven alfresco.
Instead, OMF’s 2016 season will be held in Fort Worden’s enclosed Wheeler Theater in Port Townsend.
The shift was made possible by a newly formed partnership between OMF and the 42-year-old Centrum Foundation, a multidisciplinary arts organization that has been programming chamber music in Port Townsend since its inaugural season.
For music lovers, the venue change means that the open, airy environment of the Quilcene farm’s uninsulated barn — which featured a combination of folding chairs and hay-bale seating, along with porta-potties — has been replaced by a heated theater with almost the same seating capacity but superior acoustics and amenities.
While OMF’s first season in Port Townsend will be five weeks long (Aug. 13 to Sept. 11) rather than this year’s 12-week season, the festival might be extended in the future.
“Our last summer was so successful,” OMF artistic director and pianist Julio Elizalde said. “We sold over 5,000 individual tickets and came away with a lot of energy and excitement.”
In November, Iglitzin, 84, retired as the festival’s executive director and requested the venue change.
“The farm’s 55 acres are really the Iglitzins’ home,” Elizalde said. “For all these years, they sacrificed their privacy to thousands upon thousands of strangers who attended the festival.
“The change is very sad. But there are an incredible number of benefits to being in Port Townsend and working with Centrum. It’s the best possible outcome,” Elizalde said.
“Centrum presents fully formed, professional ensembles, while OMF assembles ad hoc groupings of professional musicians a la the Marlboro Festival model. Together, we can potentially transform Port Townsend into a year-round chamber music destination.”
“Our goal with this relationship is to expand awareness and appreciation of chamber music in Jefferson County and environs,” said Centrum Executive Director Robert Birman. “It’s a net gain for both groups, because we can cross-promote and work in collaboration.”
Spring YAWP (Your Alternative Writing Program) – 2016
March 24-27, 2016 Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA
SOLD OUT
To reserve a spot on the waiting list, please call Hali Miller at 360-385-3102, x114
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Spring YAWP (Your Alternative Writing Program) – 2016, was launched as a reaction to the branding, marketing, and career networking of AWP. We desired to create, instead, a retreat place for writers to live in cozy cabins and focus deeply on your work.
We’re totes about community and reading and writing and doing guided freewrites and writing exercises and creating new work and having good food at PT restaurants and being underneath the March sky and being around the firs and sitting under a madrona and hunting for eggs and and and and and and and this will be our third YAWP session in less than a year!
Centrum’s Spring YAWP happens March 24-27, 2016. (Yes, Easter is March 27. So we’ll be doing a Sunday-morning egg hunt on the Fort Worden field with the Madrona tree : )
Limited to 20 total.
Cost: $195 (to cover the cost of the Suds cabins, and the open-mike space.) Have you published fifty novels? $195. Are you writing your first-ever poem? $195. Meals are not included: what’ll happen is some folks’ll contribute together for communal meals; and some folks’ll do their own meals in the ten kitchens provided; and some folks’ll go into town.
The 2016 Victorian Festival will celebrate Port Townsend’s extrordinary history and culture and is scheduled for March 18-20, 2016. 
