Whidbey Cider Festival returning to the prairie

The event is Sept. 20 at the Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship outside Coupeville.

By Allyson Ballard • September 12, 2025 1:30 am

As the weather begins to chill, a Central Whidbey nonprofit will be warming spirits with a taste of hard cider on the prairie.

From 12-6 p.m. on Sept. 20 at the Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship outside Coupeville, guests of legal drinking age can sip hard cider, mead, spirits and other alcoholic beverages at the returning Whidbey Island Cider Festival.

“We are excited to bring Cider Fest back to (the institute) for its sixth year,” Julie Clark, the institute’s office manager, said.

Beginning in 2017, Cider Fest is the institute’s major fundraiser, helping to support its work rehabilitating 140 acres of Whidbey’s prairies. General admission to the event is free, but those wishing to partake in alcohol tasting must purchase tickets for $30 in advance or $35 at the door. All ages are welcome.

Eight cideries are attending the event: 2 Towns Ciderhouse, 3 Dog Cider Brewstillery, Dragon’s Head Cidery, Finnriver Farm and Cidery, Greenbank Cidery, Misfit Island Cider Co., Sisters Cider House and Garden Path Fermentation.

Holmes Harbor Cellars, Whidbey Distillery, Hierophant Meadery and Anacortes Brewery will also be serving up drinks.

Sage Haze, A Fiddle in the Forest, the Shifty Sailors, Mike Hopkins, Ethan Tang and Kick Brass are set to perform throughout the event. Offerings from 10 food vendors are on the menu, including the Chef in the Black Bandana and Fulla Za Pizza.

Pacific Rim hopes to raise $30,000 with the event, according to Clark.

“We have more vendors this year, including new food trucks and alcohol producers,” Clark said. “We are very excited to be welcoming Finnriver back, as they were one of the original cideries for the 2017 Cider Festival, and welcome new vendors including Dragon’s Head Cidery, 3 Dog Cidery, Garden Path Fermentation and Holmes Harbor Cellars.”

Cider Fest guests are also invited to browse through vendor booths, visit the institute’s Native Plant Center, hike the prairie’s extensive trail system and more, according to a press release and the institute’s website. Kids can get in on the fun, too, with activities to be provided.

Hosting a cider-themed fundraiser still suits the institute despite the pivot of its agricultural focus.

“We have a small orchard, (with) just a few different kinds of fruit trees, from before (the institute’s) work switched to mainly prairie restoration,” Clark said, adding that the fruit now feeds volunteers, staff and visitors in the summer and the trees are used for a pruning workshop held in the winter and spring.

Although raising funds is crucial, Clark explained that the event’s importance does not end there.

“Our central location on Whidbey encourages visitors from beyond Island County to come enjoy what Whidbey Island has to offer and learn about one of Washington’s most endangered ecosystems,” Clark said. “We want people to think of Pacific Rim Institute as being part of Whidbey Island’s community.”

Tickets and more information can be found at pacificriminstitute.org/ciderfestival.