Sunny days are few and far between in Grays Harbor this time of year, but an exception was made for festivities on Saturday, March 19, out in Ocean Shores.

The annual Razor Clam Festival, which was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, was held March 18-20 at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. The event sponsored by the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino drew vendors and attendees from all around to celebrate fresh seafood and local tradition.

“Saturday was beautiful, and our projections were right on. This was really a proof of concept that we could extend the tourist season and work with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Ocean Shores Convention Center to bring people out here in March,” said Quinton Chastain of the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival of Port Angeles.

The Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival will run Oct. 7-9 and will feature an old-fashioned crab dinner every day under the large Crab Central Tent.

Although their operation this weekend was much smaller than it will be at their own festival, the Dungeness Crab team still went through a literal ton of crab providing whole and half crab dinners to the attendees of the Razor Clam Festival, according to Chastain.

“I think having the Dungeness Crab team there definitely enhanced the festival, it made it more of an overall seafood festival: razor clam and crab festival. I foresee us having a great future working together,” said Ocean Shores Convention Center General Manager Diane Solem.

According to Solem, more than 1,400 crab dinners were sold over the weekend.

The Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival team isn’t the only group who made the trek out to Ocean Shores. The Johnson family brought their passion for fresh seafood and legacy of harvesting to the festival. Located in Marrowstone Island just south of Port Townsend, the family has been harvesting seafood in the tidelines of Mystery Bay since the 1800s.

Leonard Johnson, also known as “the chowder man”, started Mystery Bay Coastal Cuisine in 2006. He now sells his freshly harvested oysters and clams in Seattle, and is partnered with 11 markets.

Despite his prolific business throughout the Olympic Peninsula and the Seattle region, the Razor Clam Festival was a unique experience for Johnson.

“We love having the clams we’re cooking coming from the community, that’s really cool,” he said. “I work at farmers markets in Seattle, and it’s really hard to source fresh clam meat for our chowder out there, so it’s been a fun discovery.”

He worked the festival with his daughter Alexandra Johnson, who started her own business, Island Girl Seafood, in 2019 and runs operations out of Bellingham.

Even a slow drizzle on Sunday, March 20, couldn’t dampen the Johnson’s spirit, who happily filled containers of Caribbean seafood stew made with clams and coconut milk. Afterall, he describes himself and his family as “vikings at heart.”

Natalia Mueller of Alaskan Dumplings was hesitant to drive the food truck more than two hours to reach the festival, but found the harrowing experience to be well worth it.

“This is one of the best festivals I’ve ever been to in terms of food,” she said. “The people here are so nice, and there’s a really, really good atmosphere.”

Local restaurants were featured in the chowder competition, which helped push the occasional drizzle and persistent cold of the weekend out of mind. Judges selected Emily’s at the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino as the winner, and the North Beach Café of the North Beach High School Culinary Arts Program as runner-up. People’s Choice went to the Oyhut Bay Grill New England clam chowder with bacon.

“The festivals have such a positive impact, not only on our business, but for the city as well. People forget about all of this impact — the gas station, the gift shop, the bike store — it’s a net positive when you bring that many people to town,” said Ron Lambert, spokesperson for Bennett’s Restaurants, which participated in the chowder competition and had a booth in the outdoor food market.

Coming off record sales in 2020 and 2021, the Bennett’s Fish Shack location in Ocean Shores is holding steady in their 2022 sales, according to Lambert. Events, such as the Razor Clam Festival, help fuel business and bring new visitors to the area.

It doesn’t seem as though that boost is stopping any time soon. Beginning June 1, the Ocean Shores Convention Center is booked all but one weekend for the rest of the year. According to Solem, the 2023 calendar is already filled up, with only five weekends open next year.

“It’s really exciting that the city has opened back up for festivals and that the people came out so overwhelmingly. I think people were excited to have something to do,” said Solem about the weekend’s festivities.

The next major event will be the Sand and Sawdust Festival June 24-26, followed by the Hog Wild Motorcycle Run July 29-31.