It’s a little hard to think about October in the middle of July, but August is less than two weeks away and we wanted to share this initial information with readers early in case you want to plan some fall getaways. This year, the Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival will be Friday through Sunday, October 7-9 at the Port Angeles City Pier. “CrabFest” as the festival has come to be known, has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association, and as one of the Top 10 Coastal Events by Coastal Living magazine.

THE FOOD

It’s all about great food and fresh crab! Thousands of pounds of Dungeness crab are pulled from local waters each year, enabling festival-goers to savor the freshest crab available while also enjoying a wide variety of locally grown and produced foods. The 9,000 square foot Kitsap Bank Crab Central Tent will house an old-fashioned crab-feed complete with large whole crabs, fresh corn and cole slaw.

At Crab Central and throughout the grounds, 14 local and regional restaurants will serve-up everything from crab cakes to gumbo and much more! The Taylor Shellfish Farms Raw Oyster Bar is not to be missed! Non-seafood and vegetarian dishes will also be available. The 2016 market price for the full crab dinner will be $29.00; a half-crab option will be available for $15.00. Active members of the military and their spouses can enjoy a full, fresh crab dinner at the discounted price of $25.00 throughout the weekend. 

THE FUN

Held annually on the second weekend in October, Crabfest is a signature culinary event around which to plan a fall getaway weekend – or longer. In addition to great food, there’s live music throughout the event; a Chef Demonstration Stage featuring ongoing cooking demonstrations by a line-up of outstanding local and regional chefs; a Sunday morning non-denominational  “Crab Revival” with gospel music performed by local artists; a Sunday Chowder Cook-Off  sponsored by the Captain Joseph House Foundation; the Grab-A-Crab Tank Derby; and more than 70 vendor booths with juried crafts and information provided by environmental organizations.

Master Chef Graham Kerr to judge Chowder Cook-Off
The festival is pleased to once again welcome Graham Kerr, the Master Chef known to millions around the world as the Galloping Gourmet. Kerr will appear at the Gateway Pavilion just across the street from the Crab Central Tent from noon to 2:00pm on Sunday, where he will speak, sign copies of his books and preside as judge of the annual Chowder Cook-Off.

ABOUT

The Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival is a seasonal highlight for Port Angeles, a city located 15 miles west of Dungeness, in a region long known as an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Nestled between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains, PA has enjoyed its share of the limelight. Designated one of the 2015 Top 100 Best Small Towns by Livability.com, and one of the 20 Coolest Towns in the U.S. by the Matador Network, Port Angeles went head-to-head with Chatanooga, Tenn. in Outside Magazine’s 2015 “Best Town Ever” contest, coming in a close second by a slim margin of public votes.

The Olympic Peninsula has a growing a reputation for culinary adventure.  Winding through four Olympic Peninsula counties encompassing diverse microclimates, the Olympic Culinary Loop is alive with farms, produce stands, fisheries, creameries, bakeries, wineries, cideries, farm-to-table experiences and authentic culinary events, all within reach of Hwy. 101, the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. The byway showcases the region’s diverse geography, from glacially sculpted peaks and towering old growth forest in Olympic National Park, to sea stacks along the wild ocean beaches and lush estuaries. The scenic natural beauty is enhanced by living tribal cultures, historic seaport towns, and rolling agricultural land.

During the fall, culinary travelers can visit artisan wineries, take a county farm tour, pick wild mushrooms, savor a farm dinner at a local waterfront resort, and of course, enjoy all the fresh crab they can eat at Crabfest! The Culinary Loop route is designed to put visitors in touch with the people who grow, harvest, catch and serve fresh Olympic Coast Cuisine, offering up a true sense of place.

Set against a backdrop of vibrant fall foliage, the snowcapped Olympic Mountains and coastal waters, the Olympic Peninsula is the perfect place to savor the season! Bring your hiking boots, kayak, mountain or road bike and get out there – you’ll want to work up an appetite!

The Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival    |     October 7-9, 2016