Penn Cove’s fabulously fun Mussel Festival is set for March 1 and 2. It’s a local festival of deliciously small proportions, good taste and great fun in Coupeville. Celebrate Penn Cove mussels and enjoy outrageous mussel silliness the first weekend in March every year.
At Mussel Festival headquarters, pick up chowder-off ballots, scavenger hunt clues, festival schedules and more information. Coupeville Rec Hall at Coveland and Alexander streets is Mussel Festival headquarters and also hosts the Mussel Festival art gallery.
Other fun things to do at headquarters, are enjoying cooking demonstrations, tasting and fresh mussels. Read the schedule of activities around town. This year the mussel eating contest is moving to headquarters on Sunday afternoon. People can sign up for the contest starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 1 ; the contest begins at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 2.
One contest that needs to be entered in advance, and that’s the recipe contest. Enter recipes by Feb. 23. The winning recipe will be posted at www.centralwhid
beychamber.com to be shared with other mussel lovers everywhere. Prize descriptions for the Mussel Recipe Contest and the Mussel Eating Contest will be posted at Headquarters on Mussel Festival Weekend.
New this year at the Mussel Festival: Round-trip boat rides from Coupeville Wharf to the Mussel Farm in Penn Cove; Ease Your Mussels – Mussel Massage at Anchorage Inn; and Mussels Rule!! (souvenir photos) on Front Street. The wharf, The Anchorage Inn and Front Street are all about one block from headquarters. Well known singer-of-songs-of-the-sea, Tom Lewis, will be at the festival both days. The Shifty Sailors and Lewis will roam the town, offering performances.
Coupeville Rec Hall headquarters hours are: Saturday, March 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Mussel Festival);Saturday, March 1 from 5:30-9 p.m. for art and antiques walk; Sunday, March 2nd 10:30 am – 5:00 pm (Mussel Festival)
Penn Cove Mussel Festival originated 17 years ago, and for the first dozen years, was held at Captain Whidbey Inn. Festival founder, Capt. John Stone, owner of Captain Whidbey Inn, will be a judge of the 2003 Mussel Eating Contest.
Festival goers are judges as local restaurants compete for the People’s Choice trophy. Pick up chowder-Off ballots at headquarters. Tasting begins at noon. Ballots are also ticket for free Mussel Shuttle bus service between participating restaurants.
As of Feb. 8, 2003 participating restaurants are: The Captain’s Galley, Captain Whidbey Inn, Christopher’s Front Street Cafe, The Country Deli, Coupe’s Village Bakery, Knead & Feed, The Oystercatcher, Rosie’s Garden Restaurant, Toby’s Tavern, The Tyee Restaurant, and The Casual Gourmet.
Every year festival volunteers create many scavenger hunts for adults only. Prizes include pounds, pounds and more pounds of freshly harvested mussels. Recipe cards are provided. Last year adults walked away with more than 400 pounds of mussels, in two-pound bags.
Scavenger hunts for children, and other games with great names like WharfWalk, Mussel Hustle, Snailpace Races and many more begin under the canopy at the foot of Coupeville Wharf. Kids get to pick their own prizes (which do not include freshly harvested mussels), learn about mussels, orcas and Penn Cove while they hang out and have a good time.
Mussel Art Gallery is open both days at headquarters. It features several invited Northwest artisans offering things for Spring and some items are available for purchase in the gallery. Featured items this year are: fountains, glass, jewelry, photography, hammocks, scarves, sculpture, furniture, watercolors, driftwood boxes and soaps. A portion of each gallery purchase supports next year’s Mussel Festival. Enjoy Coupeville’s quarterly art and antiques walk in additional participating galleries and shops from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1.
Penn Cove Mussel Festival is presented by the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce with the support of Penn Cove Shellfish, L.L.C.
