WHAT'S A
FJORD? A fjord is formed when a glacier retreats, carving a U-shaped valley, extends below current sea level – that the sea fills. Formed over 13,000 years ago, Hood Canal is not a canal, as defined by Vancouver in 1792, but in fact the only saltwater fjord in the lower 48 states. There are plenty of fjords in Canada and Alaska. Averaging 150' deep, Hood Fjord is as deep as 600' with areas on the bottom covered by glacial till.
2019 Return of ShrimpFest a Success Report submitted by Diane Coleman , Brinnon Parks and Recreation
Thanks to the help of community volunteers and sponsors, the event went off smoothly and was enjoyed by attendees and volunteers alike. Despite having a year off and a down pouring of rain on Saturday, the people arrived to celebrate the return of this much anticipated event. Along with children and military guests, over 5,000 people attended this year's event in Brinnon over Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday the event saturated the main parking lot and filled the overflow lot!
weather. They came, they ate, and stayed for musical entertainment. Thank you Dave Calhoun, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints, Kalan Wolfe and The Tropics for providing fantastic music for the fest.
Festival goers were happy to see the return of ShrimpFest and throughout the weekend thanked members of the Brinnon Parks and Recreation and Emerald Towns Alliance for bringing it back. As first year organizers, the group was surprised at how fast the shrimp sold. The first day's 600 packages was sold in just 2.5 hours! The second day sold through 350 packages in about 3 hours. There is an insatiable demand for the Hood Canal shrimp, people were lining up outside the ticket booth an hour before the festival gates even opened.
Hosting ShrimpFest is a huge undertaking. Volunteers are essential and appreciated. We are very thankful to Hjelvik Farm for the use of their site and hope to plan future arrangements with the site. Park and Recreation District commissioners and staff will review the feedback received from the community, visitors, and vendors. (Especially of needing more shrimp at ShrimpFest!). The group will work with local Tribal fishermen to purchase more shrimp to process. Clearly the amount secured was not enough.
Another, surprise was rain or shine people came out to enjoy the food, entertainment, and crafts. The event experienced a steady down pouring of rain for several hours on Saturday. While Saturday’s attendance was down, those who came weren’t fazed by the
All in all, ShrimpFest – even with a year hiatus – has a strong foundation which the group can build upon. With new blood comes new ideas –there have been many good ideas as to how to improve and grow. There is plenty to discuss in the coming months. Thank you for all your support!
FJORD 36
