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Wooden Boat Festival
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Port Townsend, WA
Commander's B&B
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Port Townsend, WA
Farmers Market
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Port Townsend, WA
Festival of American Fiddle Tunes
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Port Townsend, WA
One of many Victorian homes
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Port Townsend, WA
Port Townsend Film Festival outdoor movie
By Keven Elliff
From January through December - Port Townsend knows how to throw a great party. Take your pick from fun festivals throughout the year and you’re sure to find an event that piques your interest. Whether it’s your love of wooden boats, maritime history, world-class music festivals, films, theatre or Victoriana, you’ll have a grand time in one of America’s most distinctive destinations.
Port Townsend has two excellent, well-maintained marinas—the Boat Haven and Point Hudson Marina. The latter is an easy five-minute walk to charming downtown shops, galleries and restaurants, including cafes, bistros, bakeries, a tea room, ice cream parlor and pubs. Many of the businesses downtown are housed in historic buildings erected in the 1890s when the city had dreams of becoming the “New York of the West.” If you would like to fall asleep lulled by the sound of the waves, the Cape Cod-styled Commander's Beach House (voted best B&B in Jefferson County) provides relaxing bed and breakfast accommodations and is located right on a sandy beach near the Point Hudson Marina.
If you love boating (and who doesn’t!) then be sure to catch one of the country’s largest celebration of wooden boats – the Wooden Boat Festival, held the second week of September. Over 300 splendid vessels of all shapes and sizes fill Point Hudson Marina to capacity and open their hatches for public viewing. Presentations on maritime skills are scattered throughout the three-day festival along with dozens of exhibitors. Live music is ongoing throughout the day and deep into the night, and will keep your toes tapping or inspire a twirl on the dance floor. The food court serves up local fare and can be paired with beer and wines from nearby producers.
In late September, the town rolls out the red carpet for the Port Townsend Film Festival, showcasing 80+ films in seven theatres throughout the walkable downtown National Landmark Historic District – one of the theaters is just steps away from Point Hudson Marina! At dusk each night, a free, outdoor movie is shown on the huge 12 meter (40-foot) screen downtown.
Since Port Townsend is one of only three Victorian seaports in the United States, it only makes sense that the city celebrates its heritage. But Port Townsend’s Victorian Heritage Festival is not your grandmother’s affair. In addition to clothing and cultural demonstrations, take in a 19th century prizefight with bare knuckles, a fencing exhibition, an antique gun exhibition, or a Gatling gun display. The festival is held the third weekend in March.
Summer in Port Townsend is a music-lover’s paradise. Centrum – the renowned arts at Fort Worden - presents music festivals that draw musicians from around the world. All summer long, visitors enjoy events such as the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, The Port Townsend Chamber Music Festival, Jazz Port Townsend, and the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival. “Fiddle Tunes” (as the locals call it) takes place over the July 4 holiday, and the town goes all out, with concerts and fireworks off of the beach.
Food your thing? Well, you may never want to leave! The Port Townsend Farmers Market was voted the best in Washington State, and is open on Saturdays, April through December, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays, July through mid-September, from 2 to 6 p.m. Farmers, chefs, and vendors from around the region gather in the heart of uptown, amid stately Victorian homes that line the quiet streets.
Outdoor opportunities abound if you’re looking for fresh air, stunning scenery and a little exercise. Walk the beach from Point Hudson to Fort Worden State Park, but check the tides first to be sure it’s slack water or low tide. Cyclists will enjoy wide bike lanes through town that lead to miles of magnificent trails. And speaking of cycles – the world famous Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture race in October is the quintessential “PT” event – loads of characters, and sculptural, human-powered vehicles racing in the water, sand and streets for glory.
Give yourself plenty of time to stay in Port Townsend since there’s so much to see and do. Take in a festival, get outside, learn the town’s fascinating history, shop ‘til you drop and enjoy Port Townsend’s charm.
Key Events
- Victorian Heritage Festival - March 18-20
- Rhododendron Festival - May 8-14
- The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes- July 3-10
- Wooden Boat Festival - September 9-11
- The Port Townsend Film Festival - September 23-25
- Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race - October 1-2