PORT TOWNSEND — The 34th annual Wooden Boat Festival’s success last weekend was a remarkable feat considering the economy, according to organizers.
“It was amazing that with all the doom and pressure that so many people are experiencing these days that attendance was so high,” said festival director Kaci Cronkhite on Monday.
“The community supports the event, and people come because they want to participate and learn.”
Cronkhite, who said the festival “has a strong regional impact,” estimated this year’s three-day event drew more than 30,000 people, up about 2 percent from last year.
With this number, the festival rivals the attendance of the Sequim Lavender Festival, which also has had up to 30,000 visitors, according to that festival’s producers.
Exact numbers will be available after all ticket sales are tallied.
There was also a record number of participating boats — 217 and all made of wood — as well as 90 vendors, also a new mark.
The festival’s totals will only count participants who were signed up and visitors who bought tickets.
Cronkhite said around 400 boats came for the festival but hovered around the edges rather than paying for a premium spot in Point Hudson Marina.
And the 30,000 attendance figure does not include people who came to Port Townsend just to soak up the atmosphere and didn’t buy an admission ticket, she said.
It also does not include the 480 volunteers on hand to help with all aspects of the festival.
As of Monday, volunteers had already finished the cleanup, and ideas for next year’s event became a topic of discussion.
Cronkhite said she would like to expand the festival into other locations, such as the Boat Haven south of downtown.
She would also like to expand the instructional programs outside of the current structure.
“The programs were very well-attended, and we could have filled them two or three times over,” she said.
Next year’s Wooden Boat Festival will take place Sept. 9-11.
Suggestions for the festival are welcome and can be sent to festival@woodenboat.org.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
