Celebrate and honor the arrival of resident gray whales to the waters around Whidbey Island at Welcome the Whales Day festival and parade from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 21 in Langley.

Beginning at 11 a.m., take part in hands-on educational displays, costume-making and kids’ activities at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, located at Third and Anthes streets.

Staging for the “critter parade” begins at 1 p.m. near Anthes and Third streets. The parade begins at 1:30 p.m. and goes up Second Street and down First Street, ending at the Langley Waterfront Park with a blessing for the whales by Windwalker Taibi, music and a celebration on the beach, while watching for gray whales in Saratoga Passage.

From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., hear presentations at the Methodist Church by Orca Network and guest speaker Dr. Bruce Mate of Oregon State University.

Mate will speak on the travels of Varvara, the gray whale from waters around Russia who visited all three birthing lagoons in Baja, Calif.

Learn more about his project by visiting http://mmi.oregonstate.edu/Sakhalin2011.

Buy and hang “Welcome the Whales” flags illustrated by Freeland artist Mary Jo Oxrieder. Flags are available at http://shop.orcanetwork.org/product_p/flag1.htm and during the festival.

Welcome the Whales Day is part of Whidbey Island’s Earth and Ocean Weekend. The Bayview Earth Day celebration follows on Sunday, April 22 at the Bayview Cash Store.

For more information about this event or whales, visit www.orcanetwork.org/news/events.html and www.visitlangley.com, or contact Orca Network at 678-3451 or info@orcanetwork.org, or the Langley Chamber of Commerce at 360-221-6765.