A beacon for fun
Published 12:01 am Friday, September 9, 2011
A huge fireworks show. A fly-by and grand parade. A pancake breakfast and a salmon bake. It’s like Fourth of July in September.
But this is the city of Mukilteo’s annual end-of-the-summer party: the Lighthouse Festival, complete with all the fish bakes, breakfasts and parades, along with a te
en Battle of the Bands, a fine arts show, children’s activities including a fishing derby and the combination fudge and art event known as fudge-carving.
The Lighthouse Festival also sets the stage to honor the city’s Citizen and Pioneer of the Year.
That’s a small but serious side of the festival. Most of the festival is dedicated to fun.
One place to start highlighting Lighthouse Festival fun is the fireworks display, which organizers say is the largest in Snohomish County. The event begins at dusk Saturday and can be seen from several vantage points including Whidbey Island and, of course, along the Mukilteo waterfront.
The festival mood is set in part by this year’s parade theme “Celebrate by the Bay.” The children’s parade starts at 10:30 a.m. and the grand parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday; both start at Chennault Beach Road and Harbour Pointe Boulevard.
The children’s parade ends at Columbia Elementary parking lot. The grand parade ends at 47th Place W. and Harbour Pointe Boulevard.
The fine arts and crafts show is five years old this year. Due to popular demand, artists have agreed to keep their booths open all three days of the festival to correspond with other events. More than 40 artists have booths at the festival displaying jewelry, woodwork, ceramics, fiber art and metalwork.
From shaved ice to savory crepes, the festival boasts an avenue of food. The Fudge-A-Muk Carving is one of those borderline events that is part art, part food, but not the kind of food that you want to eat.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival starts today and runs through Sunday at Lighthouse Park, 609 Front St., Mukilteo.
Community Transit provides shuttle service on Friday and Saturday. There is no Community Transit shuttle on Sunday. Free tickets are available. For more information visit www.communitytransit.org/mukilteo.
For a complete schedule of events, go to www.mukilteolighthousefestival.com.
Highlights from the schedule:
Friday
Juried Artist Booths: 3 to 7 p.m. Mukilteo Lighthouse
Rosehill Community Center Kiwanis Club Salmon Bake: 4 to 8 p.m., Mukilteo Lighthouse Park
Entertainment Garden: 5 p.m. to midnight
Saturday
Lions Club Pancake Breakfast: 7 a.m. to noon
Fishing Derby: 8 a.m. Ivar’s Pier
Children’s Parade: 10:30 a.m.
Grand Parade: 11 a.m.
Rosehill Community Center Fudge-A-Muk Carving: 2 p.m.
Kiwanis Club Salmon Bake: Noon to 8 p.m.
Mukilteo Lighthouse Park Fly Over: 2 p.m.
Mukilteo Lighthouse Park Award Presentations: Citizen and Pioneer of the Year: 3 p.m.
Battle of the Bands: 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Rosehill Community Center
Festival Fireworks Display: Dusk. Mukilteo Lighthouse
Sunday
Food vendors: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kiwanis Club Salmon Bake: Noon to 5 p.m.
Lighthouse tours: Noon to 5 p.m.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
