Cruise into Port Gamble and soak up some of the fun this enchanting mill town has to offer. With a variety of fun summer activities, from live music in a natural amphitheater setting, to car shows and outdoor recreation opportunities, you’ll be sure to keep boredom at bay.

Don’t forget to save some time for a relaxing stroll down the Pacific Northwest’s most historic main street. With award-winning local dining options and charming retail stores you won’t have any trouble finding sweets, drinks and trinkets. Come out and enjoy these fun events this August.

Cruise Port Gamble continues its weekly meet-ups Thursday evenings throughout August (Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29). Join the fun as car buffs show off their classic, new or unique cars on the lawns beside Mike’s Four Star BBQ and Gamble Bay Coffee. It’s a wonderful setting where owners and onlookers can mingle and chat about cars over barbecue or coffee. This weekly event is free and open to everyone.

Take advantage of another opportunity to race through the magnificent trails surrounding Port Gamble by participating in the eighth annual Port Gamble Marathon and Half Marathon Aug. 4, presented by Poulsbo Running. Before you hit the ground running, visit www.rootsrockrun.com, or contact Poulsbo Running at (360) 779-8757 for more information on cost, times and how to register.

The Slacks will take the stage on Aug. 8 for the third Alive After 5 of the season. Experience the Port Gamble waterfront like never before with live music, dining and shopping. The concert will be held on the observation deck below the American flag from 5-8 p.m.

Come sit on the lawns beside the Port Gamble General Store and enjoy the eighth annual Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival. Setup in a natural amphitheater against scenic Gamble Bay, Port Gamble is the perfect place for one of the West’s only maritime music festivals. Music will be played from noon to 5 p.m. and will feature music from local artists, Spanaway Bay, Tanya Opland & Mike Freeman, Time and Tide, & The Whateverly Brothers. For more information, go to www.portgamblemaritimemusic.com.

Interested in supporting a historic cause? The Port Gamble Theater Company is having a fundraiser for a new front curtain for the stage — restoring the 100-year-old historical site back to its former glory. They will be accepting all donations, but those who make a charitable donation of $100 or greater will have their names printed on a special “Curtain Raisers” plaque. The Port Gamble Theater is a nonprofit, so all donations are tax deductible. Checks can be mailed to: PGT, P.O. Box 331 Port Gamble, WA 98364. Please include your name(s), as you would like it (them) to appear on the plaque.

Did you know the earliest fruitcake recipe from ancient Rome lists pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and raisins that were mixed into barley mash? It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that honey, spices and preserved fruits were added. In 1490, Pope Innocent VIII granted the use of butter, through a written permission known as the Butter Letter, or butter brief.

What are the top ingredients in your fruitcake? Have you started soaking everything in brandy yet? It’s time to start thinking about Port Gamble’s annual Fruitcake Contest on Dec. 14. We’re counting down the days; will you be ready?

Interested in hearing more about what’s happening in Port Gamble? Send us an email requesting a subscription to our monthly Port Gamble e-newsletter. For information or questions regarding the events in Port Gamble, please contact the events office at (360) 297-8074, or email us at portgamble@orminc.com.

— Shana Smith is general manager of Port Gamble. ssmith@orminc.com.