An Olympic Event

     It took a long time getting there, but the trip was worth it.  By planes, trains and automobiles I made my way to the 13th Annual Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival held in Port Angeles, WA on the northern shore of the Olympic Peninsula.



     The star of the show was as you might expect, the Dungeness crab which is harvested locally by the thousands for this event.  The crab feed, always a popular draw, featured a whole crab cleaned and cooked and served with an ear of corn and cole slaw.  

 

     It is so widely acclaimed that the ferry from Victoria, BC, Canada was sold out with 750 hungry neighbors to the north making the 90 minute transit through customs each day just to enjoy the meal.  

     Variations on the crab theme seemed almost endless.  The list goes on and on with the likes of crab shooters, crab Caesar salad, crab poutine, crab cakes, crab quiche, crab mac and cheese, crab cocktail, crab enchiladas, crab tostadas and of course, crab chowder and bisque.

 

     But while the hefty 2 pound west coast delicacy was the star of the show, other seafood also played a supporting role.  Salmon, halibut, shrimp, prawns, tuna, clams and oysters both on the half shell and fried were available as well.  And on the menu for land lubbers were brats and even cheesesteaks!

     The festival was more than just eating, as good as it was.  There were exhibits about the ecology of the area housed in the Fiero Marine Life Center and cooking demonstrations by acclaimed chefs.  You could also try your luck at catching a live crab at the Grab-Crab-Crab Derby and a Marine Debris Art Show.  Sunday morning an inspiring men's chorus led the singing at a Crab Revival service.  And there was also a section set aside for the vendors who would gladly sell you their wares which included a coppersmith showcasing a aquatically themed $12,000 weather vane.



     I did my very best to sample one of everything and will report on my consumption in succeeding VinnyPosts.