Crabfest is an annual celebration of the bounty of the Northwest’s Olympic Peninsula – its seafood, agriculture and maritime traditions. Travelers enjoy the area’s scenic coast and, of course, Dungeness crab. Named for the nearby town of Dungeness where it was first commercially harvested, this small-sized crustacean is prized for its sweet, succulent, delicately flavored meat.
Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Events and Activities
The first crab festival was held in 2002, celebrating the beginning of the commercial crabbing season on October 1. The festival is located in the quaint coastal town of Port Angeles, which overlooks the scenic Strait of Juan de Fuca. The crab feed is the centerpiece of the Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival. Fresh caught and cooked Dungeness crab, served hot or cold, sweet corn and coleslaw are featured.
Local restaurants create unique menu items showcasing Dungeness crab – some paired with wines from the area. From crab cakes and crab rolls to crab enchiladas and crab bisque, crab lovers will be in bliss at the Crabfest. Foodies will appreciate the innovative culinary offerings from local restaurants – including chocolate bread pudding, fish tacos, sweet and savory crepes – as well as cooking demonstrations. Live music ranges from jazz and rock to country and world/New Age.
New for 2011, Graham Kerr (the “Galloping Goumet”) will create his healthy crab cakes at a demonstration with commentary at Saturday’s opening ceremonies. Expeditions Northwest is offering a Sunset Crab Cruise Saturday evening. Make reservations to cruise the harbor while dining on crab cocktails and enjoying the no-host bar. The Great Downtown Crab Hunt is a treasure hunt for Mr. Claws with gift certificates to downtown businesses.
Returning Crabfest favorites are the crab feed and more than 30 food selections, wine and beer. Catch a crab at the Grab-a-Crab Derby at the city pier. Volunteers help catch, clean and cook the crabs. Peruse the 60 craft, merchant and educational booths also on the city pier. The U.S. Coast Guard will display one of their boats and demonstrate an air-sea rescue during the weekend. A 5K Fun Run/Walk and volleyball tournament on Hollywood Beach are also featured.
Lodging at Port Angeles’ Dungeness Crab Festival
As the official host of the Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, Port Angeles’ Red Lion Hotel is offering festival specials for the event. Other hotels that support the crab festival include the Quality Inn Uptown, the Orchards on Fourteenth and Olympic Lodge – all in Port Angeles. There are many bed-and-breakfast inns in Port Angeles. Domaine Madeleine is known as a romantic seaside getaway. The George Washington Inn is a replica of this president’s mansion on a 10-acre lavender farm.
RV parks abound in and around Port Angeles. Choose from the Sequim Bay Resort, the Port Angeles KOA, Crescent Beach & RV Park, Shadow Mountain Campground & RV Park and Peabody Creek RV Park, among the many places to park your recreational vehicle or trailer. Campgrounds are also available in the area.
Getting to Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles, on Washington’s scenic Olympic Peninsula, is accessible by car, bus, ferry and plane. Car rentals are available at Seattle’s SeaTac Airport and in Port Angeles. It’s just a 2-hour, drive from SeaTac via I-5 to Bremerton and highways 3, 104 and 101 to Sequim. Port Angeles is 15 minutes west of Sequim on highway 101. Olympic Bus Lines has two trips daily linking Seattle and its airport to Port Angeles and nearby towns.
Ferries run between Seattle and Edmonds in the Puget Sound to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. The M.V. Coho provides a classic ship experience linking Victoria, B.C., and Port Angeles. These vehicle and passenger ferries offer year round daily service. Kenmore Air Express has 35-minute flights from Boeing Field in Seattle to Port Angeles that give travelers a birds’-eye view of the scenic Puget Sound and Olympic Peninsula.
Traveling to Port Angeles for the annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival offers visitors an authentic crab feed, fresh seafood, wine tasting, a beer garden, cooking demonstrations and live music. Catching your own crab, doing the 5K run/walk, watching a sand volleyball tournament and participating in a treasure hunt downtown appeal to just about everyone.
Susan Lynne Hamilton - Award-winning writer Susan Lynne Hamilton is the Topic Editor of Suite 101's Northwest U.S. travel section, showcasing its rich ...
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