Grapeview Water & Art Festival
- Saturday, July 29, 2017
- 10:00am until 4:00pm
- Fair Harbor Marina
On Saturday, July 29th the Grapeview Community Association will again hold its annual Water and Art Festival on the beautiful grounds of Vern and Susan Nelson's Fair Harbor Marina on Case Inlet.
This year marks the 24th anniversary of this wonderful community event. The enthusiasm and support of GCA members makes this one of the best summer festivals. Planning will begin in February with Chairperson Louise Okonek calling together her many dedicated volunteers including over 30 chairpersons to oversee all the details to provide a day filled with art, live music, food, fun and games.
Beginning at 10AM children can participate in a number of free activities assisted by volunteers from Mason County Habitat fo Humanity. Liz Ward and her team will assist youngsters in building the most creative boats ever seen at the marina. Over the winter 375 wooden boat bases were prepared for the children to decorate. Amanda Montgomery and her helpers are busy preparing crafts for children to enjoy.
Not to be missed is the Kids Fishing Derby. Registration is from 11:30AM-Noon. Fishing is from Noon to 1PM and prizes will be awarded at 1:30PM. Children provide their own fishing gear and bait and LIFE JACKETS ARE MANDATORY for all participants.
Children and adults will have fun attempting to make a hole-in-one on the festivals famous floating golf green or testing their skills in the putting contest. Three balls for $1.
This year will see 50 talented artists from around the Northwest displaying their crafts. Pottery, sculptures, jewelry, glass, wood, fabric arts and photography are just a few of the mediums that will be displayed and available for purchase.
The 2017 poster contest winner is a lovely watercolor by local artist Joanne Hoskins and will be available for purchase, framed or unframed, at the festival. Also available for purchase are the 2017 festival T-shirts designed by Mary Larson. This year's T-shirt color is beige with a clever design featuring the Festival's classic child's wooden boat-complete with wine cork trim! The poster and T-shirts can be viewed on the Grapeview Community Association website: www.grapeviewwa.com.
When a break is needed, visitors can relax under Fair Harbor’s covered pavilion and enjoy listening to live music from "Saddletramp" while sampling the festivals wonderful food booths. Hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, steamed clams and shrimp cocktails will be available. New to last year's menu were toasted cheese sandwiches. They were a huge hit and will be back this year as well as the ever popular homemadefruit cobblers. Last year, GCA members made more than 80 cobblers including apple, peach, mixed berry and blackberry. All are served with a mound of whipped cream. What a treat!
Proceeds from the festival are funneled back into the community through scholarships and support for local charitable programs including the Food for Kids Backpack Program, Grapeview School, North Mason High School Grad Night, Faith in Action, Senior Services for South Sound, Habitat for Humanity, the HUB Center, North Mason Giving Tree, Volunteer Fire Fighters of Mason County Fire District #3 and other community events and services. Since 2009 GCA has contributed over $74,000 to local schools and community organizations. This year the GCA awarded $6,500 in scholarship money to students from North Mason and Shelton high schools.
As always, the Grapeview Community Association is grateful to Fair Harbor Marina owners Susan and Vern Nelson for their outstanding support of this annual event.
Save the date – Saturday July 29 10AM – 4PM and join your friends and neighbors at the Grapeview Community Associations Water and Art Festival. See you there!
Fair Harbor Marina is located on the Grapeview Loop Road off Highway SR3.
Volunteers Still Needed! GCA Water and Art Festival volunteer coordinator, Val Paulson, reports that more volunteers are needed. Until activity coordinators report, it is not known exactly how many or in what areas. In general areas needing volunteers are set-up, take-down, children's activities, food booths and security. More specifically, an overall coordinator is still needed for the Shrimp Cocktail food booth, young people are needed to help with golf ball retrieving, and help is needed to assist artists in unloading and setting up their art booths.
If interested in volunteering, please contact Val Paulson at 360 275-6764 or paulsonscv@wavecable.com.