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THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014
VOL. 19, NO. 32
Loganberry Musselfest Festival gets ‘suspended’ By Megan Hansen Editor
The fate of one of Whidbey Island’s long-standing festivals is up in the air. Whidbey Island Area Fair’s move to the end of July now conflicts with Greenbank Farm’s annual Loganberry Festival. The date change prompted Greenbank Farm and Port of Coupeville officials to cancel this year’s festival. “We’ve suspended Loganberry because the world has changed around us,” said Greenbank Farm Executive Director Judy Feldman. Feldman “We’re simply responding to a change. This is a sad day for us.” The conflicts from the fair’s date change were various, Feldman said. It wasn’t one exact thing that caused the cancellation. A big factor was both events showcased 4-H groups; the members would have to choose between events. Other considerations were vendors, sponsors and volunteer time. “This will be a chance for us to find out how important the festival is to people,” Feldman said. “When a significant event moves, it has a ripple effect.” Before making the decision to suspend the event, Feldman said farm and port officials looked at every possibility, including moving the date, but could not find one that would work. “It was a carefully considered decision,” she said. Greenbank Farm is run by a management group, and the contract for that group is coming up next year. Feldman said while the festival is suspended this year, she’s not sure of its future because she doesn’t know if the same management group will still be operating the farm. “We can’t really make bold promises without knowing the future,” she said. It depends on who’s managing the farm next year, she added. Coupeville Chamber Director Lynda Eccles, who serves on Island County’s tourism board, said she was sad to hear the festival was cancelled this year. “It’s no easy decision to make,” she
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Megan Hansen photos
Above: Mussel enthusiasts gathered at 3 p.m. each day at Musselfest to cheer on participants in the mussel-eating contest. Below: Chowder tasters brave strong winds Saturday on Front Street while tasting one of many entries.
Wind gusts, rain doesn’t hinder chowder challenge By Megan Hansen Editor
Wind gusts and sporadic rain didn’t stop mussel enthusiasts from enjoying Penn Cove’s native mollusk last weekend. Despite the less-than-stellar weather, Coupeville’s annual Musselfest’s 1,500 chowder tasting tickets sold out on Saturday. Crowds roamed the town, going from business to business, tasting chowder entries and other seafood delights. Some restaurants set up booths outside their businesses to offer additional culinary options. Coupeville Booster Club set up shop in the Coupeville Recreation Hall parking lot, offering piping hot mussels. Bayleaf reported selling 800 orders of Musselfest mussels, prepared in front of the
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