PORT ANGELES — Sweaters from Ecuador, blackberry cheesecake ice cream, Joy in Mudville: They’re coexisting indoors and out as the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts continues today and Monday.
“I like the local flair, the sense of community,” Charlie Lyons of Port Angeles said while seated with his daughter Iris, 10, on the main drag of the festival Saturday afternoon.
That would be the free Street Fair, where five dozen art, clothing and food vendors are set up around the Vern Burton Community Center at Fourth and Peabody streets.
The Saturday afternoon sky was a light gray, but the on-street display of color was bright: Indian Arts, an importer of woolly wraps and wooden percussion instruments from South America, was among the many vendors of vivid wares.
Olympic Mountain Ice Cream was doing fine, too — “as long as it doesn’t rain,” said co-owner Justin Strickland — scooping salted caramel, mint chocolate chip and peanut butter pie cups and cones.
The Street Fair is open today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Monday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with children’s entertainment in the Turtle Theater tent today only.
Alleyoop, aka Al Hirsch, tells stories and sings songs in his shows at noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Joy in Mudville is among the local acts on the festival schedule of 30 performances between today and Monday.
The rock-Americana-bluegrass band, featuring Jason Mogi and Kim Trenerry, will be on the Chamber Stage adjacent to the Vern Burton at 3 p.m. today and 3:45 p.m. Monday.
A cross-section of today’s musical offerings: contra dance lessons and the Odd Hack Band at 2:15 p.m., swing dance lessons with Hot Club Sandwich at 4:45 p.m. and a tango class with California’s Redwood Tango Ensemble at 7 p.m.
All three sessions are at the Masonic Lodge, 622 S. Lincoln St.
Tonight on the Vern Burton’s main stage, the March Fourth band from Portland, Ore., a big band with a brass section and stilt walkers, steps up at 8:30 p.m.
Over on the Chamber Stage, the rock ‘n’ blues band PufnStuff plays at 6:45 p.m., followed by Port Townsend magician Joey Pipia at 8 p.m.
Single-day tickets are $30 today and $20 Monday, available at the Vern Burton; as is traditional, children 12 and younger are admitted free.
Later tonight, the last set of Juan de Fuca After Hours shows will begin at 10:30 p.m.
These performances, included with a festival ticket, bring Rose’s Pawn Shop, a rock and Americana outfit, to the Metta Room, 132 E. Front St., and Blaze & Kelly, a folk-harmonies duo, to Kokopelli Grill, 203 E. Front St.
The festival’s final day is Blues Monday, with at least six shades of blue.
The half-dozen groups to play the Vern Burton stage include the Stacy Jones Band at 12:30 p.m., David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach at 2:15 p.m., and, for the 4 p.m. finale, Curtis Salgado and his band.
On the snug Chamber Stage, it’s FarmStrong at 12:45 p.m., PufnStuff at 2:15 p.m. and Joy in Mudville at 3:45 p.m.
Abundant information about performers, stages, start times and the Street Fair is in the festival program, available at all of the venues.
The festival website is also a resource at www.JFFA.org.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
