Weekend MusselFest all about ‘more, more, more’

This weekend’s Penn Cove MusselFest is about extra everything. Expect extra tour boats, extra shuttles, extra bathrooms, extra music and, most importantly, extra chowder tasting tickets.

This weekend’s Penn Cove MusselFest is about extra everything.

Expect extra tour boats, extra shuttles, extra bathrooms, extra music and, most importantly, extra chowder tasting tickets.

This year, MusselFest has 16 businesses each giving out 2,000 one-ounce samples Saturday and Sunday.

Four different tickets with four tastings per ticket will be offered, allowing for 500 more participants each day.

“We always sold out early and we want people to be able to try the chowder,” said Vickie Chambers, executive director of the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association.

Chowder tickets are $10 each and start selling at 10 a.m. each day at the Coupeville Rec Hall. A limited number are sold each day.

“Our whole goal is to not turn people away,” said Cindy Olson, organizer.

Olson and Chambers ensured details for MusselFest are handled, including delivering the 900 pounds of potatoes, 200 pounds of onions and 1,000 pounds of mussels to businesses making chowder.

Most restaurants are also offering variations of the mollusk, and several vendors, including the Coupeville Booster Club, offer mussels on the go.

Cooking demonstrations take place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Coupeville Rec Hall. Guest chefs include Gavin Stephenson of the Georgian Restaurant, Robert Spaulding of Elliott’s Oyster House, Chris Garr of Ivar’s Acres of Clams, Sam Burkhart of Etta’s and Larry Cordova of Marriott International.

There will be two mussel tour boats running tours and two shuttles taking chowder tasters around town.

The additional boat equates to 600 extra tickets and, because the Coast Guard requires every human being on the vessel have a ticket, even an infant, one Front Street business stepped up and paid for an unspecified number of tickets for children ages 0-12 — if accompanied by a paid adult.

There will be free parking at both the elementary and middle/high school, with shuttles to bring visitors downtown.

Unless otherwise specified, events are both Saturday and Sunday:

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., MusselFest Headquarters open at Coupeville Rec Hall. Buy Mussel Chowder Tasting and Mussel Farm tour tickets here. ATM and restrooms available.

Mussel Cooking Demonstrations, Coupeville Rec Hall, featuring guest chefs:

10 a.m., Gavin Stephenson, The Georgian Restaurant (The Fairmount Olympic Hotel)

11 a.m., Robert Spaulding, Elliott’s Oyster House

Noon, Chris Garr, Ivar’s Acres of Clams

1 p.m., Sam Burkhart, Etta’s and Seatown Restaurants and Tim Voss of The Hot Stove Society

2 p.m., Larry Cordova, Marriott International

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mussel Farm Tours

10:30-11:30 a.m., Shifty Sailors Sing Songs of the Sea, Coupeville Rec Hall

11 a.m.to 3:30 p.m., Mussel Chowder Tasting.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Free Mussel Shuttles run.

11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Children’s Activities at Whidbey Island Masonic Lodge

Saturday only: 12-1 p.m., Shifty Sailors Sing Songs of the Sea, Coupeville Rec Hall

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Saturday) Waterfront Beer Garden at Coupeville Rec Hall

Mussels, live music, local brews and wine, and crackling bonfires. Beer Garden sponsored by Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association.

Waterfront Association Beer Garden Performers:

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Nathaniel Talbot and Brian Kenney

2:30-4:30 p.m., Erik Christensen Band

11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Saturday), Penn Cove

Shellfish Mussel & Beer Garden, across from Coupeville Rec Hall. Spicy, Southwestern mussels served 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Proceeds benefit Boys & Girls Club of Coupeville and CHS science Scholarship.

Rec Hall beer garden performers:

11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Marcus Whiting

12-2:30 p.m., Tiller’s Folly

2:30-5:30 p.m., Jones & Fischer

5:30-9 p.m., Steve Trembley Band

12-2 p.m., Children’s Fishin’ Off the Pier on the deck of the Windjammer building

3-3:30 p.m., Mussel Eating Competition at Coupeville Rec Hall