PORT HADLOCK — An old folk tale about Hadlock Days claims the celebration was once so small, half the paraders would walk around the other half, then swap places.
While there may be a kernel of truth there concerning the festival’s fledgling days 22 years ago, Hadlock Days looks more lively than in many years.
Entire families planned their day around the weekend festivities which ran throughout Saturday and continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in two locations — at the familiar site off of Ness’ Corner Road that houses the new and improved lawn mower racing track and at the Kively Center at 121 Oak Bay Road.
More lawn mower races will be held today, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the 560-foot track that retired contractor Lloyd Crouse built and recently renovated.
The beer garden adjacent to the track will open at 9 a.m. today, while booths will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Admission to the track area is $3 per person while all other events are free.
On Saturday, it seemed that nearly the entire town of Wamic, Ore., (population 36) brought their lawn mowers to the annual races. That’s not to mention a dozen racers and their families from Soap Lake and Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho.
Forty lawn mower drivers competed on the improved dirt track carved into good Hadlock dirt and clay west of downtown.
They traveled from Idaho, Oregon and even Wyoming to compete for national points in the American Racing Mower Association (ARMA) sanctioned event.
Racer Dale Stark of Soap Lake took his first run on the improved dirt track.
“This is a blast,” Stark said. “You meet so many people.”
Caked in mud and smiling ear to ear, Stark had just won his heat despite being pitted against lawn mowers that were more akin to stock cars than grass cutters.
Stark’s pitiful 20 horsepower V-twin held off the unlimited class racers because he was able to get traction along one side of the track where mud persisted.
“We were racing the big boys,” he said. “They couldn’t get traction and that’s the only reason I won.”
Many spectators of the parade as well as aficionados of the dirt track expressed a similar sentiment — that Hadlock Days felt like the kind of community celebrations of yesteryear.
The Holt family of Mats Mats Bay came en masse with the youngest cousins designing, decorating and all but driving their float in the parade.
The flock of children have been in each of the past three parades and they select a different theme for each year, though all themes so far have been water related.
They called themselves the Electric Eels this year but were formerly known as Crab Pinchers and the Kelp Rockers. They’ll be the Dazzling Dolphins next year.
“How many kids can say they were in a parade?” said matriarch Susan Holt, the designated spokesperson for the burgeoning clan. “This is big news for these kids and it’s safe.”
Dana Petrick, the festival’s prime mover, albeit with plenty of help, said she felt Hadlock Days was reviving, thanks in great part to Crouse’s passion for lawn mower racing, as well as the support of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Pedro’s Fiesta Jalisco restaurant, the Chevron at Chimacum and Scampi Seafood.
Sitting on a foldable camp chair in the Hadlock Days headquarters at Kively Center late Saturday, a weary Petrick was enthusiastic about the festival’s future.
“I think we will be able to bring this back,” she said.
“There’s a genuine community spirit here.”
Debbie Williams of Wenatchee agreed.
“This is small town fun,” she said. “It’s a great small community event.”
She and husband, Bob, pulled up roots in Wenatchee, in fact, and plan to live full time on Marrowstone Island.
Stephen and Pat Chase of Port Hadlock sat next to the Williamses on the corner of Irondale Road and Nesses Corner Road to watch Saturday’s parade.
“We love this,” Stephen Chase said. “This is small-town America.”
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Philip L. Watness is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend. He can be reached at whatnews@olypen.com.
