Hundreds of arts and crafts vendors will descend on Coupeville this weekend to sell a variety of goods that include pottery, woodwork, art and hand-crafted furniture.

Those vendors are the mainstays of the annual Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival.

In its 41st year, the festival is the longest continually running such event in the state.

While the event will have an art gallery, a wine tasting and its usual assortment of booths, one thing that organizers are proud of is the music that’s on tap for the weekend.

“Every year we try to tweak it a little bit to make it better,” said Ann Hallem, president of the Coupeville Festival Association. “This year will be the best year for entertainment.”

In addition to Whidbey Island acts Bahia and Jamar Jenkins, Sub-Motive is coming from Seattle to perform at the festival on Saturday from 2:30 to 4:30. The trio, the members of which all graduated from high school in 2003, has performed at a variety of festivals throughout the Puget Sound region for the past several years.

The festival kicks off Friday, Aug. 13 with a wine tasting at the Coupeville Recreation Hall where people can get an early look at the art that will be presented over the weekend.

In addition to the gallery at the Rec Hall, an assortment of 17 artists will be in the parking lot demonstrating their skills.

“This is the only festival that I know of that concentrates artists in one area so people can walk through it,” Hallam said.

One of the artists, Coupeville’s Michele Kempees, will have one piece of work displayed prominently throughout the town. She designed the festival poster this year.

She decided on a simple theme — kids eating ice cream on a street curb, a scene which alludes to K-Paws Ice Kream, a Front Street business that often has lines going out the door during the numerous festivals that take place in Coupeville throughout the year.

She said highlighting “kids enjoying ice cream on a warm sunny day” is an important aspect of summer festivals.

Children will also have fun outlets during this year’s festival as they can paint a festival T-shirt and get involved in a variety of other activities.

The Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival, with its art gallery, hundreds of vendors and live music is a far cry from the festival when it started more than 40 years ago.

Back then the festival was simply a couple of displays on card tables on Front Street, Hallam said.

The festival’s growth has also benefited the surrounding community.

The Coupeville Festival Association, a nonprofit organization that runs the Arts and Crafts Festival, has donated nearly $500,000 over the years to local causes. Money last year went to the middle school and high school band programs.

Proceeds from the Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival supported restoration programs, the Coupeville Arts Center and the Central Whidbey Island Chamber of Commerce, Hallam said.

An eight-member board overseeing 17 committees puts together the annual festival.

“It’s really a well-oiled machine,” Hallam said.

As the festival approaches, the Coupeville Festival Association is looking for volunteers not only for the weekend festival, but to also clean up after the festival. For more information about volunteering, contact the Coupeville Festival Association as 678-5116.

Have fun

at the festival

Art Preview and Wine Tasting: Friday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m., Coupeville Recreation Hall. Tickets are $10 in advance and $14 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Coupeville Pharmacy, Coupeville Liquor Store and Miriam’s Espresso. Price includes a commemorative wine glass to keep.

You can reach News-Times reporter Nathan Whalen at nwhalen@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611.