Downtown Port Orchard will be packed as a handful of events will kickoff the summer event schedule this weekend.
The 26th annual Seagull Calling Festival, in conjunction with the Kitsap Harbor Festival, is May 24 at Marina Park.
Registration for the Seagull Calling Contest, sponsored by the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce, will start at 9 a.m. and the contest will begin at 10 a.m. There is no cost to participate in the contest.
Contestants young and old, as individuals or in groups, and some in costumes, will take turns on the beach “calling the seagulls.”
Contestants try to mimic the seagull’s cry and bribe the birds with tortillas, French fries, bread and the judges with candy cookies and sometimes even money, to win various coveted prizes. Awards will be presented after the contest.
Competitors for the seventh annual Seagull Wings Cook-off will prepare their entries from 10-11 a.m.
The cook-off will feature hundreds of “seagull” wings created, grilled and served up by both amateur and commercial contestants hoping to win bragging rights for their wing recipes, according to Christine Daniel, chamber executive director.
Judges will sample, deliberate and announce “Whose Wings Reign Supreme!” for first, second and third place in two categories — amateurs (home cooks and grillers) and commercial (restaurants, caterers and other commercial kitchens).
The judging competitions will start at 11 a.m. and the sale of the wings to the public begins at noon.
“Wings will be distributed to the public for $1 (for a wing donation) and attendees can vote on the People’s Choice,” Daniel added.
Seagull Splat 5K Run
The first-ever Seagull Splat 5K Run, hosted by Fathoms, will get underway at 12:30 p.m. May 24. The run will be held in conjunction with the Seagull Calling Festival and Kitsap Harbor Festival.
The 5-kilometer run will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the west end of the Comfort Inn on Bay Street.
Day of race registration and packet pick up will be at the Port Orchard Marina Waterfront upper playground area closest to new pathway entrance, between 9 a.m. and noon.
The course will run from Bay Street, loops through West Bay Center, continues along Beach Drive to Olney at the turnaround, runs the length and back of the Annapolis Dock and finishes at the Marina Waterfront Park in downtown Port Orchard.
There also will be two “Kids Dashs” for ages 3-5 and 6-9. Registration on race day is between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Port Orchard Marina Park. Entry fee is $5. The dash will follow the run, approximately at 2 p.m. All participants will receive a toy.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Fred Needham VFW Post 2669 to help local military and veteran families.
Kitsap Harbor Festival
The festival will run through May 25 on the Bremerton Boardwalk and near Marina Park in Port Orchard. Events include booths featuring food, crafts and many interesting new and familiar items to view and purchase.
On May 24, in Port Orchard, the Fathoms o’ Fun Festival’s Pirates Rendezvous Craft and Vendor Show is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There also will be children’s activities and live music.
Highway 3 will perform from 12-3 p.m. at the Marina Park gazebo and Tugboat Bromberg, a true Pirate nautical musician, is also scheduled to appear.
MoonDogs, Too will host the Pirates Ball at 7 p.m. with live music. The cover charge for the ball will help support the July 4 fireworks show conducted by Fathoms.
One Ten Lounge will host a beer garden from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On May 25, the craft and vendor show is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., along with more children’s activities scheduled.
The Navy Band Northwest will perform a concert from 12-3 p.m. at the gazebo and a Pirates/Pet costume contest will be held after the concert.
There will be extra/overflow parking available at the lower lot of the South Kitsap High School parking lot for runners and festival goers.
Because of the festival, the Port Orchard Farmers’ Market will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot behind Amy’s on the Bay, 100 Harrison Ave.
