If director Joel Zwick (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) made a film about this weekend’s activities on the Peninsula, he might call it “My Big Fat Kitsap Weekend.”
VIKING FEST
Kitsap dishes out a cultural feast beginning May 17.
Poulsbo’s Viking Fest, which celebrates the Norwegian heritage of the city’s founders, also features Suquamish Tribe artists and Irish dancers, two other cultures prominent in Poulsbo’s makeup. Viking Fest continues through the weekend with Viking village reenactors, carnival, live entertainment, and food vendors. The 44th annual Viking Fest Parade is May 18, 2 p.m., in downtown Poulsbo.
(You’ll have a rare opportunity to see Vikings and steam punks in one place: Sugar & Spice Tea Co. on Front Street presents its Steam Punk Day Market May 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.sugarnspiceteacompany.com.)
Viking Fest contests include 1- and 5-mile runs, Kupcake Krigen, stand-up paddleboard race, message-in-a-bottle race, lutefisk-eating contest, and oyster-eating contest. Full schedule of events at NorthKitsapHerald.com and VikingFest.org.
ARMED FORCES DAY
Bremerton hosts a weekend of events saluting the Armed Forces. The 65th annual Armed Forces Day Parade is May 18, 10 a.m., in downtown Bremerton. A barbecue — free to active duty, reservists, veterans and their families — follows. The Navy League Gala is at 6 in the Admiral Theatre. (For complete schedule of events and other features, see the special section in this edition of Kitsap Week.)
PORT GAMBLE SALE
Here’s your chance to own a piece of Pacific Northwest history.
On May 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Port Gamble Historical Museum will sell pieces of the town’s past to make room for an expansion of the Port Gamble General Store. Items include windows from the Hotel Puget, old bottles unearthed when the hotel was demolished in 1963, directional signs and sign frames, ornate balusters (also called spindles or stair sticks) from the Walker-Ames House, a pump organ, wood chairs, barrister lamps with green shades, art prints, and large, framed reproductions of early Port Gamble photos.
HERONSWOOD OPEN HOUSE
Heronswood, the famed gardens now owned by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, will be open to the public May 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Heronswood founder Dan Hinkley speaks on “Heronswood: Past, Present and Future” at 11:30 a.m. and “Foliage First” at 2:30 p.m. Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken of Far Reaches Farm speak on “Plants Outside the Mainstream” at 1 p.m.
The S’Klallam Singers will offer traditional songs during the day. Admission and presentations are free; tours of the gardens are $10, with proceeds benefiting the restoration. Food vendors will be set up on site.
Featured nurseries include Celestial Dream Gardens, Chimacum Woods, Colvos Creek Nursery, The Desert Northwest, Dragonfly Farms Nursery, Far Reaches Farm, Foxglove Greenhouses, Friendly Natives, Keeping It Green, Naylor Creek, Rhododendron Species Foundation, Sundquist Nursery, Windcliff.
INDIANOLA PLANT SALE
The Indianola Garden Club’s annual sale, at the Indianola Pavilion across from the Indianola Clubhouse and Flea Market, features Northwest plants, vintage garden items and rosemary jelly. Proceeds support local scholarships. The event is May 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
MEDIEVAL FEST
Step back into the Middle Ages at Medieval Fest, May 19, 2–6 p.m., at Poulsbo Adventist School, 1700 NE Lincoln Road, Poulsbo. Admission is $5 for ages 6 and older; ages 5 and younger get in free.
The event features a chess tournament with cash prizes, trebouchet demonstrations, a star constellation room, a wax museum, and a “royal feast” with entertainment. Admission fee covers food and entertainment.
For more events in your community, pick up your local Sound newspaper or go to BainbridgeReview.com, BremertonPatriot.com, CentralKitsapHerald.com, NorthKitsapHerald.com, and PortOrchard Independent.com.
