24th Annual Fishermen’s Fall Festival is this weekend

Meghan Walker Ballard

Saturday, September 22 is the 24th annual Fishermen’s Fall Festival at Fishermen’s Terminal. The festival is a free event that celebrates the return of the North Pacific Fishing fleet to its home base.

Photo from a previous year’s festival

The event is from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will include a wide range of family-friendly activities. There will be everything from miniature wooden boat building and shell painting to fishing and a “Jumpy Ship.”

From the Fishermen’s Festival website:

This annual event provides families with a fun and educational outing on the waterfront as well as an opportunity to learn more about seafood. Hands-on art projects with fishing themes, including the popular wooden boat building and trout pond, are complimentary for all children and admission to the festival is free. Proceeds from the other activities within the festival are donated to the Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial to assist families of fishers lost at sea.

The Main Stage schedule is as follows:

  • 11:00 –    Inochi Taiko: Traditional Japanese Drummers
  • 12:00 –    Opening Comments: Port of Seattle Commissioner
  • 12:00 –    Musical Performance by Whidbey Island singing group, The Shift Sailors
  • 1:00 –   The Reptile Man:  Scott Petersen has performed for over 800 schools in the Northwest. Corporations such as Microsoft, Boeing, and Eddie Bauer have found this program to be exciting for all ages. You can see Scott on Disney’s nationally televised “Bill Nye – The Science Guy.”
  • 2:00 –  4:00   Musical performance by the Lost Vuarnets: Enjoy some good old rock ‘n’ roll with this long time festival band.
  • 4:00 –  6:00   Musical Performance by Knute Bell:  Groove to Rockabilly at it’s  finest! Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to cut the rug with this local singer and festival favorite.

Seafood Demonstration Stage schedule:

  • 11:15      –       Salmon/Halibut Fillet Demonstration by Jon Speltz, owner Wild Salmon Seafood Market and Louis Morales, Chef Anthony’s Homeport Kirkland.
  • 12:00     –      Jon Van Amerongen’s Back Deck Ballads of Alaska Fishing
  • 1:00     –       17th Annual Wild Salmon Fillet Competition:  One of the festival’s most popular events.  Don’t miss out on this fast paced and exciting competition as the Northwest’s best salmon filleters compete for the championship.
  • 2:00    –         Lutefisk Eating Contest:  Presented by Viking Bank and Scandinavian Specialties. Open to the public with prizes. (Sign up begins at 10:30 AM at the Seafood Demonstration Stage on a first come first serve basis).
  • 3:00     –       Awards Ceremony for Fillet Competition.
  • 3:30      –      Oyster Slurp Contest: Presented by Snow Creek Shellfish.  Oyster lovers compete to see who can consume raw oysters in the fastest time.  Open to the public with prizes. (Sign up begins at 10:30 AM at the Seafood Demonstration Stage on a first come first serve basis).
  • 4:00 – 6:00   –    The Sourmash Stevedores perform their charming and unique songs inspired by the Sea.

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