Maritime Festival combines music with salmon history

This weekend’s Westport Maritime Festival is actually a combination of two events that fizzled in 2016.

Salmon Tales — launched in 2012 “to re-establish Westport as the salmon-fishing capital of the world,” according to its Facebook page — was canceled last year, but is being revived. The other element stems from the former Westport Blues Festival, which ran for seven years before it was canceled in 2016. Michael Bruce has been working to bring that back with a broader musical scope.

Both events were originally placed on the schedule for this year at the Westport Maritime Museum, but plans were progressing slowly, according to John Shaw, executive director of the Westport South Beach Historical Society.

“By the time we got into May and June, Michael had booked a slate of acts but was still working on putting it together,” he said. In addition, Mike Coverdale, the organizer of Salmon Tales, had been searching unsuccessfully for a business or individual to take over for him; so finally the historical society agreed to pick up the ball.

“That very quickly led to us working with Michael Bruce,” said Shaw. “And with limited time and limited resources, we put it together as one event.”

And the rush has continued right up to the end. All In was originally expected to perform, but had to bow out last week for medical reasons. Just US, which subbed for All In at the recent Westport Seafood Festival, stepped up once again.

“We all are friends here on the Harbor, and we help each other as needed,” said Bruce.

Festival hours will be 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 2201 Westhaven Drive. Saturday’s festivities will kick off just before noon with a formal dedication of the museum’s new flagpole.

At McCausland Hall on the museum grounds, special displays will include some newly scanned and reproduced pictures from early salmon derbies in Westport, as well as a collection of items that reflect the local impact of charter salmon fishing. Shaw noted, for example, some major fishing trips organized in years past for Congressional Medal of Honor winners.

“It’s part of the history of the heyday of commercial charter salmon fishing when it seemed like the whole world came here to salmon-fish,” said Shaw. “We had 250 boats working out there; there’s 30 now.”

He noted, too, how much people love to see the pictures of the monstrous salmon being hauled in back then. At just 24.5 pounds, he said, this year’s top catch didn’t even come close. “It used to be that if your fish wasn’t at least 50 pounds, you wouldn’t bother walking it to the scale,” he said.

The festival also will include an assortment of vendors, seafood (including salmon, of course), a beer garden hosted by Blackbeard’s Brewing Co., “Finn” the big salmon, and bounce houses for the kids. A silent auction will be held at McCausland on Saturday.

Admission to the music tent is free, though donations are encouraged. All proceeds will benefit the historical society’s operations at the museum and at Grays Harbor Lighthouse.

“If we don’t make anything, and we have a nice weekend, we’re still ahead as far as we’re concerned,” said Shaw. “But we’re hoping to make some money.”

Going forward, he’s confident this melded event will expand to include the salmon cookoffs previously held at Salmon Tales.

“I think what we’re doing this year will become the backbone of a yearly event on the fourth weekend of September,” he said. “That’s the goal.”

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MUSIC SCHEDULE

Friday

• Vaughn Johannes, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

• The Pleasure Hounds, 8 to 10 p.m.

Saturday

• Just US, noon to 1:30 p.m.

• The Pleasure Hounds, 2 to 3:30 p.m.

• The Elvis Tribute (Shane Cobane), 4 to 5:30 p.m.

• Ericka Corban, 6 to 7:30 p.m.