Visitors flock to 53rd arts and crafts festival

Once again, thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors filled the streets of Coupeville for the 53rd annual Coupeville Arts &Crafts Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

Attendance on Saturday reached even higher numbers than usual, said Carol Moliter, vice president of the Coupeville Festival Association.

The association made a few changes to the event including moving some of the parking, having the Pacific Northwest Art School manage both the art galleries and the receptions at the galleries and moving the beer and wine garden to where the music is.

“The whole area was so vibrant,” Moliter said.

Although the event draws thousands to the island every year, not everyone attended it on purpose. Jackson Myers and Mekayla Leskowsky, both from Seattle, stumbled upon the event by accident.

“It’s shocking how many people make things around here,” said Myers.

Holly Farrell of Oak Harbor attended with her family and volunteered in the beer and wine garden.

“I thought it was fantastic,” she said. “It’s phenomenal seeing all these local artists.”

Moliter said all the volunteers felt the event ran smoothly.

“It’s a fabulous experience,” she said. “It’s one that, if you’re volunteering, you’re going to feel gratified when it’s done, not frustrated.”