Thirsty Rainfest participants end their revelries at the Forks Outfitters parking lot where they enjoy root beer floats in 2018. Root beer floats and river trips will once again be a part of Rainfest. (Christi Baron/Olympic Peninsula News Group)

Thirsty Rainfest participants end their revelries at the Forks Outfitters parking lot where they enjoy root beer floats in 2018. Root beer floats and river trips will once again be a part of Rainfest. (Christi Baron/Olympic Peninsula News Group)

Rain or shine: Forks Rainfest planned for two weekends

FORKS — If you name an event Rainfest the sun will surely shine — not every year, but organizers say it seems like since Forks’ annual weather celebration started, there have been more sunny than rainy ones.

Organizers have planned Rainfest for the Forks area over the next two weekends.

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

A new event this year is a poetry slam at Blakeslee’s Bar and Grill tonight.

Saturday morning will be the annual Washington CoastSavers coastal cleanup and the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association will offer floats on the river — and there will be root beer floats, too.

Umbrella decorating will take place at the Forks Elks Lodge but because there are so many competing activities, the Umbrella Parade will not take place this year, organizers said.

The school drama clubs will present several opportunities to see the “Addams Family Musical” Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night will wrap up the first weekend with the River and Ocean Film Festival at the Rainforest Arts Center.

The second weekend of Rainfest, April 26-28, will see the Fabric of the Forest Quilt show all three days. Friends of the Forks Library will host a book sale Friday afternoon and Saturday.

An art show and sale at the RAC on April 27-28; a cedar weaving class is slated for April 28.

Rainfest winds up April 28 with a Peninsula Spinning and Fiber retreat at the Rainforest Center.

Today

• Noon to 4 p.m. — Forever Twilight in Forks Collection – Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave.

• 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. — Poetry slam hosted by the West Olympic Council for the Arts (WOCA) at Blakeslees Bar & Grill, 1222 South Forks Ave.

Saturday

• All day — Free entry into Olympic National Park to celebrate the first day of National Park Week.

• Morning — Washington Coast Cleanup sponsored by CoastSavers. Register online at: http://www.coastsavers.org.

• 9 a.m. to noon — Umbrella decorating hosted by WOCA at the Forks Elks Lodge, 941 Merchants Road.

• 9 a.m. to noon — Children’s book giveaway hosted by the Clallam County Literacy Council at the Forks Elk Lodge, 941 Merchants Road.

• 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Free river floats by the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association. A shuttle to the river will run frequently throughout the day from the Forks Outfitters (Thriftway) parking lot, 950 S. Forks Ave. For details, go to www.facebook.com/opgaforks.

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — John’s Beachcombing Museum will offer a early opening special: General (18 and over) $5, seniors $4, veterans $2, active duty military and their families free, Kids 12-18 $2, Under-12 free with an accompanying adult.

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — VFW Spring Fling Bazaar and Craft Sale, 110 S. Spartan Ave.

• Noon to 2 p.m. — Free root beer floats courtesy of the Olympic Peninsula Guides’ Association at Forks Outfitters (Thriftway).

• Noon to 4 p.m. — Forever Twilight in Forks Collection – Rainforest Arts Center (RAC) Alcove.

• 12:45 p.m. — Easter egg hunt sponsored by Forks Elks Lodge will begin at 1 p.m. at Tillicum Park, 236 N. Blackberry Ave.

• 1 p.m. — Forks High School and Junior High Drama Clubs’ will present “Addams Family Musical” at the RAC. Admission is $10 and includes show and dessert. Regular performances will take place at the Forks High School Commons on April 26 (7 p.m.), April 27 (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and April 28 (2 p.m.). Admission for regular performances is $5.

• 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Forkestra performance at the RAC.

• 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — Doors open for the River & Ocean Film Festival at the RAC. Forks STEM Rovers team members will display this year’s remotely operated vehicles. There will also be a bake sale to benefit the Rovers Club and MATE Competition 2019. • 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. — River & Ocean Film Festival, natural resources educational and art displays at the RAC.

Friday, April 26

• Noon to 4 p.m. — Forever Twilight in Forks Collection – RAC Alcove.

• Noon to 6 p.m. — Fabric of the Forest Quilt Show in the Forks High School auxiliary gym, 261 Spartan Ave. Admission by donation. For information, go to piecemakersquiltclub.org.

• 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Rainfest Book Sale will take place at the Forks Library, 171 Forks Ave. Items will be sold for $3 per bag to benefit Friends of the Forks Library.

Saturday, April 27

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Art Show and Sale will take place at the RAC.

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Arts for All Ages at the RAC. Art activities will include painting, paper arts, pebble art and bracelet making. Participants are invited to make a shopping bag from a tee shirt and should bring a shirt or two.

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Fabric of the Forest Quilt Show in the Forks High School auxiliary gym, 261 Spartan Ave. Admission by donation. For information, go to piecemakersquiltclub.org.

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — A quilt show, part of the National Parks Quilt Collection, will take place at the Forks High School auxiliary gym. There will be landscapes, flora and fauna among the 75 quilts on display.

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Rainfest Book Sale will take place at the Forks Library, 171 Forks Ave. Items will be sold for $3 per bag to benefit Friends of the Forks Library.

• 11 a.m. — There will be a flagpole dedication at Tillicum Park.

• Noon to 4 p.m. — Forever Twilight in Forks Collection – RAC Alcove.

• 4 p.m. to 12:01 a.m. — Forks High School All-Class Reunion will take place at the Forks Elks Lodge, 941 Merchants Road. Tickets are $20 per person. Photos will take place at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and an open mic at 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 28

• Noon to 4 p.m. — Forever Twilight in Forks Collection – RAC Alcove.

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Fabric of the Forest Quilt Show in the Forks High School auxiliary gym, 261 Spartan Ave. Admission by donation. For information, go to piecemakersquiltclub.org.

• 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — A cedar weaving class will take place at the RAC. Participants must pre-register to dfinley001@centurytel.net or call 360-640-0359. Cost is $25 and includes supplies.

• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. — All Peninsula Spinning and Fiber Retreat at the RAC. Open to the public.

For more information, see the complete schedule at https://forkswa.com/event/rainfest.

More in News

Port Townsend Main Street Program volunteers, from left, Amy Jordan, Gillian Amas and Sue Authur, and Main Street employees, Sasha Landes, on the ladder, and marketing director Eryn Smith, spend a rainy morning decorating the community Christmas tree at the Haller Fountain on Wednesday. The tree will be lit at 4 p.m. Saturday following Santa’s arrival by the Kiwanis choo choo train. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Decoration preparation

Port Townsend Main Street Program volunteers, from left, Amy Jordan, Gillian Amas… Continue reading

Port Angeles approves balanced $200M budget

City investing in savings for capital projects

Olympic Medical Center Board President Ann Henninger, left, recognizes commissioner Jean Hordyk on Wednesday as she steps down after 30 years on the board. Hordyk, who was first elected in 1995, was honored during the meeting. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
OMC Commissioners to start recording meetings

Video, audio to be available online

Jefferson PUD plans to keep Sims Way project overhead

Cost significantly reduced in joint effort with port, city

Committee members sought for ‘For’ and ‘Against’ statements

The Clallam County commissioners are seeking county residents to… Continue reading

Christopher Thomsen, portraying Santa Claus, holds a corgi mix named Lizzie on Saturday at the Airport Garden Center in Port Angeles. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Peninsula Friends of Animals. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Santa Paws

Christopher Thomsen, portraying Santa Claus, holds a corgi mix named Lizzie on… Continue reading

Peninsula lawmakers await budget

Gov. Ferguson to release supplemental plan this month

Clallam County looks to pass deficit budget

Agency sees about 7 percent rise over 2025 in expenditures

Officer testifies bullet lodged in car’s pillar

Witness says she heard gunfire at Port Angeles park

A copper rockfish caught as part of a state Department of Fish and Wildlife study in 2017. The distended eyes resulted from a pressure change as the fish was pulled up from a depth of 250 feet. (David B. Williams)
Author to highlight history of Puget Sound

Talk at PT Library to cover naming, battles, tribes

Vern Frykholm, who has made more than 500 appearances as George Washington since 2012, visits with Dave Spencer. Frykholm and 10 members of the New Dungeness Chapter, NSDAR, visited with about 30 veterans on Nov. 8, just ahead of Veterans Day. (New Dungeness Chapter DAR)
New Dungeness DAR visits veterans at senior facilities

Members of the New Dungeness Chapter, National Society Daughters of… Continue reading

Festival of Trees contest.
Contest: Vote for your favorite tree online

Olympic Medical Center Foundation’s Festival of Trees event goes through Dec. 25