Harbor Days goes ‘lite’ and stays on land this Saturday

Harbor Days is happening Saturday, Sept. 4, in a scaled-down, one-day form without visiting tugboats, races or vendors. But it is the state’s only maritime festival this year.

“Every other maritime festival from Bellingham to Tacoma to Gig Harbor to Port Townsend has been canceled,” said Carol Riley, executive director of the 48th annual festival, put on by the South Sound Maritime Heritage Association. “Port Townsend’s was just canceled last week. We want to bring something to the community, and this is the best we can do.”

The dramatic resurgence of COVID-19 is the reason for Harbor Days Lite, as the organizers are calling it. but the uncertainty that came before it also played a role, Riley told The Olympian.

“We want to keep this nearly 50-year-old, working waterfront-focused festival alive in preparation for a full version in 2022,” Don Chalmers of the maritime heritage association said in a press release. The association launched the festival and offered a virtual version in 2020 after the Olympia Kiwanis Club, which had presented it from 2012 to 2019, announced it could no longer act as host.

Most of the tugboats at this year’s festival — where masks are required and social distancing is encouraged — will be made by children, who are invited to build boats from LEGO blocks as part of a display created by LEGO experts. They also can make and race tugs at a booth presented by the Hands On Children’s Museum.

Also on hand (and on land) will be four quarter-scale tugboats built by Bob Peck of Olympia and a demonstration of remote-control tugs in a 30-foot-by 24-foot pool.

Members of the maritime heritage association will talk about the Tugboat Parthia attraction that will be built downtown next year, and there’s a maritime history tour at 10 a.m. as well as an option for a self-guided tour anytime.

There’s also a full schedule of live music by local bands: Choro Tomorrow, Cool Breeze, Terry Ness and Friends, Cosmo’s Dream and Samba Olywa.

The uncertainty surrounding events made planning difficult, Riley said, and that’s the reason so many events have been canceled instead of happening on a small scale.

Riley and the maritime heritage association considered several plans for the festival, but at a certain point, the board made the decision to keep it small.

“For a while, it really looked like we might be able to hold the full festival, but the city was not issuing full permits,” Riley said. “They were issuing temporary permits. That’s what happened with Lakefair. Organizers were working with a temporary permit, and then the full permit was denied. We didn’t want to be in that boat.”

Olympia Harbor Days Lite

• What: The 48th annual festival celebrating South Sound’s maritime heritage has been reduced to just one day this year, but it is offering children’s activities, music, a waterfront tour and more. The website has ideas and links for virtual activities, too.
• When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4
• Where: Port Plaza, 701 Columbia St. NW, Olympia
• Safety precautions: Masks are required, and social distancing is strongly encouraged. Event volunteers are all fully vaccinated.
• More information: https://www.harbordays.com

This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 5:00 AM.