ARLINGTON — Judging was no easy task for people who came by the Co-op Supply store Saturday afternoon to cast their votes for contenders in the Ugliest Chicken contest.
More than a dozen participants, competing in several categories, including the prettiest and most flamboyant chicken, calmly waited in their cages.
The contest was part of the third annual Arlington-Stillaguamish Eagle Festival. Hundreds of people flocked to downtown Arlington on Saturday to check out local art, see live eagles, take a covered wagon ride and go bird watching at the Portage Wildlife Sanctuary.
Activities were happening throughout the downtown area.
Back at the Co-op, Allison Blacker, 14, of Oso, stayed close to Bubba, a barred rock rooster she raised herself.
“I was afraid he would lose,” she said.
But Bubba didn’t let her down. He won a prize for the most unique chicken. Allison proudly attached a certificate to the back of her sweatshirt.
After the contest, Allison and her 11-year-old brother Dirk took Bubba for a walk in Legion Park. Bubba didn’t seem to mind the string attached to his leg and let passersby gently pet his back.
Greg Nutter and his 7-year-old daughter, Lia, found themselves the proud owners of the prettiest chicken, named Misfit. The two also saw a presentation by Sarvey Wildlife Center workers about eagles and other predatory birds.
Held in the City Council chambers, the two presentations drew a large crowd, with people standing in the back just to take a peek at the owls and eagles.
The festival offered a fun opportunity for families to do something different in the community, said Jeff Pitman, who works for the city of Arlington and stopped by the festival after running an errand.
“I know they’ve worked hard on this for a long time,” he said.
The art show, put together by the Arlington Arts Council, was a success, with about 1,000 visitors viewing work by 17 local artists, said organizer Roberta Baker.
“We meet so many interesting people here,” she said.
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