QUILCENE — Quilcene will be the center of activity this weekend with a fair and parade on Saturday and scenic races on Sunday.
The Quilcene Fair & Parade will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, with events centered at the Quilcene School District at 294715 U.S. Highway 101.
The Quilcene Oyster Half Marathon, 10K and 5K runs on Sunday will begin at 9 a.m. for the half marathon and 10 a.m. for the 10K and 5K. All begin and end at Worthington Park, 151 E. Columbia St.
Fair, parade
On Saturday, although the vendors and car show will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, the parade at 11 a.m. is considered the unofficial kickoff to the annual fair.
“It’s wonderful,” said Brian Cullin, communications director for the Quilcene Historical Museum. “It’s a wonderful small town parade.”
The parade will run up Highway 101 from the post office to USBank. It generally is composed of a variety of dignitaries, floats, classic cars, log trucks and other vehicles. Parade participant check-in starts at 9 a.m.
From noon to 2 p.m., live music is planned.
Also the Quilcene Fair Arts & Crafts Show is back this year. Creations are to be brought to the Outdoor Learning Center behind the school between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. today and can be picked up on Sunday or later if other arrangements are made.
A new addition to the Kids Carnival is Strait Up Foam Fun. The substance is hypoallergenic, according to its inventor, Port Angeles resident Nicole Merrigan, who says it is made up of sodium lauryl sulfate, glycerol and water.
For more about the fair and parade on Saturday, see https://quilcenefair.org/.
Oyster runs
The Quilcene Oyster Half Marathon, 10K and 5K already had 189 people signed up by Wednesday evening, according to Cullin.
“It’s the biggest number we’ve ever had,” in the 11 years of the races, he said, adding that by race day, organizers expect more than 200 to run and walk the routes.
Registration before the race begins is $60 for the half-marathon, $40 for the 10K and $30 for 5K. Prices increase Saturday at 11:59 p.m.
Proceeds from the race go to benefit a pair of locally-based nonprofits — the Friends of Jefferson County Parks & Recreation, and Quilcene/Brinnon Dollars For Scholars, which matches qualified students from the local area with scholarship programs.
The scenic runs wend through views of the Olympic Mountains, the Douglas fir forests of nearby Olympic National Park and the Hood Canal.
Runners are set to follow a clockwise, out-and-back loop course for the half marathon. The 10K is nicknamed the “Salmon Run,” while the 5K is the “Ranger Run.” Runs start and finish near the amphitheater in Quilcene, near the intersection of Center Road and East Columbia Street.
The half marathon course is USATF-certified, and the race organizers plan to have a post-race party at the amphitheater — the Linger Longer Outdoor Theater — with a beer garden and wine tasting, along with an oyster bar, to accompany the race awards ceremony.
For more information, see https://olympicpeninsula.org/event/oyster-races/.
