Field Day, open houses welcoming the public to the annual event for amateur radio operators, are planned this weekend in Port Angeles and Port Townsend.
The Port Angeles Field Day will be at the Clallam County Fairgrounds at 1608 16th St., Port Angeles, with entry on the west side. Setup will be at 10 a.m. today and the contest, open to the public, will be from 11 a.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday, said Bob Sampson, chairman of the board of the Clallam County Amateur Radio Club.
The contest is the point of the annual Field Days across the U.S. and Canada. Amateur radio operators contact as many others as possible during the time period; the clubs with the most contacts win.
The Clallam County event also will offer the public GOTA — Get On The Air — Sampson said.
“Anybody can come in and there will be an amateur radio operator there and you are able to make a radio contact,” Sampson said. “You don’t have to be licensed. The public can come in and operate the radio.”
The Port Townsend Field Day will be at Fort Worden from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.
It offers an expanded range of activities, ranging from games and prizes to live entertainment to a beer garden and food vendors.
Presented by The Production Alliance and Fort Worden Hospitality, Field Day at Fort Worden will ask for a suggested donation of $10 at the gate and a “Pass the Hat” will take place during the event.
Food vendors will include Barbarian Cuisine, Fort Worden Hospitality, Big Dawgs Hot Dogs, High Country Donuts, Gypsy Coffeehouse, Sugar Hill Farms and Fiddlehead Creamery.
Live music will be performed by DJ Adaptogen, Ember Brightheart and the Shift and Global Heat.
At 2 p.m., DJ Adaptogen will perform while people sign up for games. At 3 p.m. will be the formal welcome and at 4:30 p.m. will be free root beer floats.
In addition to the floats from the Kiwanis of Port Townsend — offered on a first-come, first-served basis — will be The Bouncy Zone, hosted by Sugar Hill Farms; Birdhouse Making with local carpenter John Edwards; tie dye shirt making; and a temporary tattoo station.
Here is the schedule of games:
• 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Ice Bath Challenge.
• 4 p.m. — Super Field Race.
• 4:30 p.m. — Tug of War preliminary.
• 5 p.m. — Sack Race.
• 5:15 p.m. — Maritime Line Tie.
• 5:30 p.m. — Watermelon Eating Contest.
• 5:45 p.m. — Community portrait.
• 6 p.m. — Ember Brightheart and the Shift.
• 6:30 p.m. — Tug of War final match.
• 6:45 p.m. — Prize ceremony.
• 6:55 p.m. — Ling Hui Dancers.
• 7 p.m. — Global Heat.
• 8:30 p.m. — Closing ceremony.
For more information, see https://theproduction alliance.org/events/field day#dynamic-section-48- anchor.
