Press Release
Calling All Crab Lovers!
The 22nd Annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival is Back in Full
October 6-8, 2023
Port Angeles, Wash., August 16, 2023 – The Port Angeles Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, one of the country’s most acclaimed seafood festivals is back in full, ready for another signature “Crabtastic event!” “CrabFest” served up eight tons of fresh crab in 2022! The event celebrates not only the food, aquaculture, agriculture and maritime traditions of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, but Native American culture, art, music, and children’s activities in one spectacular three-day celebration.
The festival will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 6-8, at the Port Angeles City Pier, the Gateway Center and Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles Harbor parking lot. Admission is free.
The Freshest Dungeness Crab
The freshest Dungeness crab available, pulled from the Strait of Juan de Fuca by a dedicated CrabFest fleet of 5-7 boats, will be delivered to the plates of festival-goers under the 15,000 square foot First Fed Crab Central Tent, at City Pier with a la carte plated crabs and Crabs to go. We even have Curbside Pickup. Crabs are brought in starting Monday and kept alive in salt water oxygenated holding tanks, then brought to the festival alive each day where they are cleaned and cooked on site. Whole crabs average two pounds so there’s plenty of crab meat along with fresh corn, cole slaw—and a bib! The Dungeness crab dinners are sponsored by High Tide Seafoods and Platypus Marine, Inc.
“We’re encouraging festival-goers to purchase their crab dinner tickets online at crabfestival.org for the guaranteed price of $40.00, $25.00 for a half crab dinner,” says CrabFest Executive Director Scott Nagel. “Advance tickets aren’t required, and we will be offering crab dinners for on-site purchase at market price. But the cost of seafood has caused changes to our planning, and there’s a chance we won’t have enough crab available for on-site purchases throughout the festival weekend. Advance tickets guarantee your crab! They’re good for any day of the festival and are refundable up to 15 days prior to the start of the event.”
Curbside Pick-Up Friday and Saturday – Advance Online Purchase Only
Those unable to enjoy the festival in person can savor the most important part at home with Curbside Pickup ordered online by Thursday, Oct. 5 at midnight. Purchase a chilled Dungeness crab dinner for warming at home or in your hotel for $40.00. Curbside pickup is available on Friday and Saturday from Noon – 6 p.m. There is no curbside service on Sunday.
Food & Beverages
Throughout the grounds, 18 local and regional restaurants will serve everything from fresh Dungeness crab shooters to Pan-seared Alaska Weathervane scallops over rice pilaf to Caribbean Seafood Stew – more than 70 dishes, plus a raw oyster bar! Meat and vegetarian dishes are also on the menu plus great local desserts. Enjoy wine, hard cider, and beer.
Live Music
Inaugural Field Arts & Events Hall – Crab Festival Concerts Collaboration
Enjoy an immersive musical experience inside the stunning new Field Hall waterfront theatre and events center. CrabFest dinner ticket holders enjoy an exclusive $5.00 discount on each ticket purchased for Crab Festival Concerts at Field Hall.
Friday October 6th, 7:30pm – Ruth Moody Band. Experience the dreamy folk of Australian-born, Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Ruth Moody.
Saturday October 7, 5:30pm and 8:30pm – Sammy Miller & The Congregation. Led by GRAMMY-nominated drummer Sammy Miller, this seven-piece band is on a mission, crisscrossing the country like a vaudevillian revival show with a fervor for music.
In addition to the special Field Hall performances (admission charge), there are three live music stages, one situated in “The Claw” – First Fed Gateway Open-Air Bistro. The second stage is on City Pier and the main stage is in the First Fed Crab Central Tent. There is no admission charge to the Festival.
And More!
More than 70 juried craftspeople, nonprofit and sponsor booths exhibit on the pier throughout the Festival. Additional Saturday activities include a Welcoming Ceremony sponsored by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, a USCG Air and Sea Rescue Demonstration and a special visit by the USCGC Alert, a 210’ Medium Endurance Cutter that will be open for public tours, and the Peninsula College 5K Fun Run. On Sunday morning the Crab Gospel Revival opens the Festival.
Maritime Education
Port Angeles is home to two important resources, the Feiro Marine Science Center located on City Pier and the NOAA Olympic Coast Discovery Center located next to the Festival at The Wharf. Everyone who loves marine life and the environment should plan time to explore both centers.
Thanks to Our Sponsors and Volunteers
A free community celebration like CrabFest would not be possible without our sponsors:
Platinum – First Fed – Port Angeles Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles Harbor
Presenting – Black Ball Ferry Line M.V Coho – Peninsula Daily News – Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau – City of Port Angeles – Clallam County – Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce
More than 40 sponsors and community organization make the Festival happen every year. Volunteers are the backbone of any festival, and we have many volunteer opportunities! Information at www.crabfestival.org.
A Perfect Getaway
CrabFest is a seasonal highlight for Port Angeles, located at the Gateway to Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Center. The region is long known as an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise with a growing reputation for culinary adventure. During the fall, travelers can visit artisan wineries, take a county farm tour and savor local cuisine at a waterfront resort. The area’s diverse geography features glacially sculpted peaks and towering old growth forest, wild ocean beaches and lush estuaries enhanced by living tribal cultures, historic seaport towns, and rolling agricultural land.
Tickets and information at www.crabfestival.org. E-mail your questions to info@crabfestival.org, or phone 360-452-6300.
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