Special Events | Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival

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Lifetime Achievement Awards

Thursday September 10, 5:30 PM, doors open at 5:00 Northwest Maritime Center Maritime Meeting Room
Each year we recognize members of our greater maritime community for “The Wooden Boat Foundation Lifetime Achievement in Wooden Boat Community & Spirit,” and “The Wooden Boat Foundation & WoodenBoat Magazine Lifetime Achievement in Boatbuilding & Design.” This heartfelt Festival tradition is hosted by WoodenBoat Magazine and is open to the public.

Race to Alaska Blazer Party

Friday September 11, 6 PM, Northwest Maritime Center, $30
It’s a reunion, awards ceremony, and a kickoff beer bash all wrapped into one! And everyone is invited to join in. This annual event brings lovers of the Race to Alaska and racers together to share stories of this year’s race and be the first to hear changes to the race for the next year. Buy a ticket for admission and get a free drink and fistfuls of finger food.

Tickets Available in 2020

International Travel Happy Hour

Saturday September 7, 5-6 PM, Northwest Maritime Center AV Room
Interested in going with the Northwest Maritime Center to Norway in 2020 or Japan in 2021? Going to Croatia with us this fall or hope to in the future? Let’s get together, share stories, and start planning for the future. Help us decide where we should go on our next international excursion! Free to all, no RSVP necessary.

Over the Bar: Bell Tolls Ceremony

Sunday September 13, 10 AM, Commons outside the Northwest Maritime Center
Each year at the Wooden Boat Festival we honor mariners that have passed over the bar with the traditional maritime ringing of the bell. Eight bells signify the end of the watch. Everyone is invited to this ceremony to recognize those that have passed over the bar.

If you would like to add a loved one’s name to the list of names spoken, email len@nwmaritime.org.

Taiko Drumming

Sunday September 8, 12 PM, Bar Harbor
Don’t miss a fantastic performance of Taiko drumming by Japan Creative Arts out of Seattle! Taiko is a form of percussion using large drums that boasts a deep cultural significance throughout Japan. With origins in Japanese mythology and folklore, Taiko drums have been used throughout the nation’s history in all manner of musical ensembles and ceremonies. Hear the thunderous roll of these drums at noon on the Sunday of Festival as they precede a traditional Shinto boat launching ceremony. Photo credit: Tero Patana and Japan Creative Arts.

Shinto Boat Launching

Sunday September 8, 12:30 PM, Basin of Marina
Join us for a traditional Shinto ceremony to launch the recently built Japanese river boat—constructed by Douglas Brooks and class at the Northwest Maritime Center. The launching will be a unique opportunity for visitors to experience a ceremony never seen outside of Japan. A Shinto launching consists of rituals and celebrations of the kami, or spirit that pervades all things animate and inanimate. The boat launching is a celebration of the spirit of the waters and the mountains, as well as the purification of the boat and its builders.