We’re not certain whose bright idea it has been to start charging an arm and a leg for family fun events in North Kitsap but the decline in crowds will eventually do the talking. Port Gamble seems to be the big infractor right now, what with skyrocketing costs at Medieval Faire three weeks ago (up from $3 per carload in 2006 to $5 per person this year) and now the Civil War Reenactment following suit by charging a whopping $7 a head.
They’re being called “parking fees,” but they’re essentially an admission charge. To the best of our knowledge, the Civil War gathering was free last year. As well it should be (donation jars aside, of course).
Either way, the public is already sending event organizers a message. Medieval Faire’s 25th anniversary was blessed with beautiful weather, yet the number of visitors dropped significantly from the huge crowds that descended on the old mill town in 2006.
This June, 10,000-15,000 people were expected to join the Society for Creative Anachronism in marking its milestone. While 1,100 or so SCA members showed, they were joined a mere 5,000 visitors.
This weekend, as hundreds of Civil War reenactors spill into the historic streets and hillsides of Port Gamble, they, too, will likely do so before a lesser crowd. It’s not that the event isn’t exciting, or that those organizing it haven’t poured in more than their share of blood, sweat and tears, but rather that we feel the admission is simply too exorbitant.
For residents who are bent over the barrel every time they set foot or tire on a Washington State Ferry heading out of Kingston or Winslow, the buck has gotta stop somewhere. Or maybe this trend should just go unchecked.
Why not start charging folks to park and watch fireworks displays next month? A $5 per person charge to visit Poulsbo, Suquamish or Kingston? Sure.
But hopefully, those organizing “family-oriented” events in Port Gamble aren’t setting an example that will be followed elsewhere. Hopefully, declining crowds at such gatherings will serve as a reminder to those individuals as to why they host such events in the first place.
