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PORT TOWNSEND — Thousands of people are expected to show up for the annual Rhododendron Festival Grand Parade on Saturday, but they better have overnight accommodations reserved.
That’s because hotels, state parks and bed-and-breakfast inns are filled to the gills with parade participants, a delegation from Ichikawa, Japan, and others.
But that doesn’t mean people can’t get a front-row seat to the parade or participate in any of the other events going on throughout Port Townsend.
Out-of-towners can catch the end of several days of community festivities with the Kiddies Parade at 3:30 p.m. today. Hundreds of children and dozens of day-care providers and pre-schools assemble at 2:45 p.m. at the intersection of Monroe and Water streets for the parade along Water Street to Taylor Street.
The parade will last about an hour.
Because the parade will interrupt traffic, people should consider taking a Jefferson Transit shuttle downtown.
Festival-goers should also take the shuttle to the Grand Parade beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Grand Parade takes over the two main arterials — Lawrence Street uptown and Water Street downtown.
Rhody insiders suggest spectators get up early Saturday morning to set up their lawn chairs along the parade route along Lawrence, Monroe and Water streets.
The full report appears in the Friday/Saturday editions of the Peninsula Daily News, on sale throughout Clallam and Jefferson counties. Or click onto “Subscribe” to obtain your copy by U.S. mail.
