Bette Worth and Bobbi McCracken are full of fun ideas. On Saturday, those ideas will come to life with Downtown Aberdeen Association’s (DAA) fifth year of Summerfest.
If last year is any indication — more than 2,000 people showed up to the festival found on Broadway Street between Market, Wishkah and Heron streets — this year could be even better. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to the 40 vendors who are signed up to work that day, the free activities planned, plus raffles and more, it is also the fourth year of the barbecue tasting. Worth and McCracken think they’ve cracked the code on the best way to offer samples of the delicious barbecued meat from the eight barbecue teams.
“We have our big Downtown Aberdeen Association tent,” McCracken said. “So you’ll go there and then for $5 you get eight tickets. You can use one at each booth, ideally, or if they want eight tastes from one barbecuer I guess they can do that. The idea is to sample from everybody and then vote.”
Worth said people will receive a sheet of paper with the list of the barbecuers on it and then they’ll vote for the barbecuer they think is the best. Through that vote, the winning team could win $100. But that win pales in comparison to what they could win when the judges make their decisions later in the afternoon when the barbecue winners are announced at 4:30 p.m.
The tasting tickets have replaced the Summerfest buttons from last year.
“Last year we had the problem where people didn’t understand and they just got in line,” McCracken said. “A lot of the (barbecuers) ran out. We’re gonna make sure we get the word out that you have to pay the $5 and then you get to taste eight different places.”
For the sake of convenience and to make sure people have tickets before they get to the front of a 15- or 20-person tasting line, a common sight last year, McCracken said she thinks they’ll have volunteers selling tickets in addition to the DAA’s tent.
Along with the volunteers selling tickets, there will be volunteers stationed at each barbecue team to make sure people don’t stand in line and then get declined a sample because they don’t have tickets.
Tasting of course is optional, but with the air filled with the smoky scent of barbecue, carnivores could find it tough to not fork over a few bucks. That said, there is plenty to make a fun, free day for the whole family.
A popular attraction last year was The Test of Time Car Show, which will return to Broadway Street, between Wishkah and Heron streets. While some people are proud of their newer cars, the car show mostly features classic automobiles. One of the cars last year was a regal blue-painted 1960 Chevrolet Impala. Its owner, Gary Schrotberger added to his beauty’s flair with an A&W Root Beer drive-in tray that he hung on the driver’s side window sill.
Beyond the 40 vendors who are signed up to add to the festivities, including several food vendors selling pizza, street tacos, hot dogs, ice cream and freeze-dried candy, lemonade and kettle corn, cotton candy and popcorn, there will be several activities for guests, including live music. And the activities are free.
“As far as activities, the balloon man will be back. He’ll be there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And, Amanda Ransom will be performing from 12 to 1:30 p.m.,” McCracken said. “And The Six will be performing from 2 to 4 p.m. In the middle we’ll have a Skittle sorting contest and a watermelon eating contest. Both of those will be run by Aberdeen Lions Club.”
People may remember The Six from last year, or possibly from a couple weeks ago when they played at the Grays Harbor County Fair on Aug. 4.
Worth and McCracken were excited to talk about a new activity for 2023 — a gymnastics area for children in the lobby entrance between Steam Donkey Brewing Company — 101 E. Wishkah St. — and GH Wine Sellars — 206 S. Broadway St.
“She’s gonna allow little kids to do demonstrations, 3 to 10 years old,” McCracken said of the gymnastics coach. “She’s gonna have a little, mini session set up. … In that little lobby area, she’s gonna have a little circuit set up for little guys to try.”
Friends of the Library and Aberdeen Timberland Regional Library will have a double booth, according to McCracken.
“Friends of the Library I think have 700 new books to hand out to kids,” McCracken said. “The library itself is doing what we call a ‘kiddie corral.’ They’re gonna have all kinds of free activities for kids with wonderful prizes that have been donated.”
The barbecuers, who will start setting up shop at 5:30 a.m., Saturday, will also get to have some fun with activities, including steer roping and potato peeling.
“They’re working a lot of the time but we just give them something fun to do,” McCracken said. “Throughout the day, runners will go get people from each team and they have to do a ring toss. Just goofy things, but it breaks it up.”
There will also be a “Wanted” plastic backdrop that Worth and McCracken are going to set up somewhere so people can take pictures — selfies — just for fun.
“We’re trying to keep everything so you can essentially spend the day there and not spend any money if you choose,” McCracken said. “We had that scavenger hunt. They’ll have to search through all the barbecuers and vendors for these. We’ve got 14 of these wanted posters. They just have to find the poster and write down that booth number it’s in. Isn’t that cute?”
Worth talked about a second scavenger hunt set up through the Distrx phone app.
“You’ll try to locate five designated businesses,” Worth said. “You’ll be given clues and through those clues you’ll find the business. There’ll be something you need to do at each of the businesses. The clue that’s on your app will tell you what you need to do. And then you turn in the form you fill out with the names of the businesses at the registration desk and you’ll be in the running for a prize.”
While they can’t share what the prizes are — since they’ll give away which businesses are included — McCracken said they’re pretty good prizes.
“We bought a prize from each of the stops, a gift card,” McCracken said.
And then there’s the raffle, which requires a $5 donation. But the prizes are something to covet.
First prize is a Westport Weekend Getaway valued at about $850
Second prize is a MiniMax Big Green Egg grill, valued at $659
Third prize is an outdoor pizza oven with accessories, valued at more than $350
Fourth prize is a S’mores Galore fire pit, valued at $300
Fifth prize is a Backyard Summer Fun basket, valued at $170
There will also be activities outside of the festival. Mount Olympus Brewing (MOB) — 105 W. Heron St. — will host a cribbage tournament that will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
“People can sign up now at the brewery or the morning of,” according to the brewery. “No buy-in to play and then there is a $100 gift certificate for first place and a $50 gift certificate for second.”
McCracken and Worth also pointed out Rancho Alegre Meat and Produce will be open. While its front parking will be taken up by the festival, it has parking in back for butcher shop customers.
People who wish to park for the day at the festival are asked to park on surrounding streets, not in back of Rancho.
For the main event, the barbecue judging that’ll take place later in the afternoon; the cash prizes for the teams are $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $200 for third place. Those prizes are per category, which include chicken and pork. There will also be a mystery meat category, judges aren’t made aware what they’re cooking until the day of, which pays $100 for the winner. There is only one winner for that.
There is also a beans contest in which the “scores in this category will determine placement in case of a tie in other categories,” according to the rules.
McCracken gave a preview for what people who haven’t experienced the festival should expect on Saturday.
“It’s outdoor family fun, free or very reasonable,” McCracken said. “But you can spend the day, meet a lot of people, see a lot of people and do everything fun and find out what happens in Aberdeen because we want to send them around town through the scavenger hunts as well.”
Worth added to McCracken’s thoughts.
“The other thing we encourage or we hope is happening, is by going through the scavenger hunt it’ll allow them to learn about other businesses,” Worth said. “We want people to wander out and about, to go to other businesses downtown. That’s important that they do that as well.”
They also each gave their favorite parts of the festival.
“When it’s all over and I’m looking at the pictures that Rick (Moyer) does, and the massive crowds, it just makes me feel like we’ve done something here,” McCracken said.
Worth agreed.
“I would say the same thing. Just the joy we’re able to bring, that’s our goal,” Worth said. “To provide some activities for downtown to draw people downtown. And when we see the numbers (of people) and the kids, it brings us a lot of joy to see the kids that are out there participating in the watermelon eating contest, the Skittle eating contest or dancing. There was quite a bit of dancing last year. To see people doing that is fun.”
Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.
Matthew N. Wells | The Daily World Dean Bush, left, and his cousin Watson, stare at the regal blue 1960 Chevrolet Impala, which was part of the car show on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Summerfest 2022. The children, and Michael Bush, Dean’s dad, were enamored by the paint job, and the bullet tail lights on the classic car.
