Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
A bit of old Norway is coming to Hoodsport this weekend with the Fjordin Crossin festival.
The event celebrates a Nordic tradition of “sending a barrel of aquavit in a ship from Norway across the equator and back again,” according to the event’s website.
The local version will send a barrel of the Hardware Distillery’s dill aquavit across the Hood Canal and back to Hoodsport.
It happens Saturday at the Hoodsport Dock and is sponsored by the Hardware Distillery and Be the Traveler/Hood Canal Events.
Starting at 11 a.m., food booths and other vendors will open by the dock and registration is available for those not preregistered for the Paddle the Canal.
The paddle is for non-motorized vessels to cross the canal in a timed race and on-site registration is $39 for adults and $25 for kids 10 - 17. Kids 9 and under are free but must still register.
Kayaks, SUP, canoes or any other non-motorized vessels are permitted and an offloading station at the dock is provided with volunteers helping load/unload watercraft. Parking is not available at the Port of Hoodsport.
At 12:40 p.m., a parade from the distillery to the dock starts with the barrel of aquavit and is led by Scandinavian fiddle and accordion musicians.
The crossing begins at 1 p.m.
The barrel will travel on a boat from Hoodsport to Tahuya and back.
The Lady Alderbrook will also bring guests to cheer on the celebration.
The awards ceremony and prizes for the Paddle the Canal happen at 2 p.m.
The family-friendly event will have children’s activities including crafts, Norwegian elkhounds for petting, a touch tank for kids to safely touch sea creatures and story time sponsored by the Hoodsport Library.
There is also a 21 and over aquavit grotto under the dock that is a fundraiser for the Salish Sea Rotary of Mason County. The rotary will donate all funds from the grotto to the Hood Canal School and other local school districts.
A free continuous shuttle will be in the parking lot at the Hood Canal School at the corner of state Route 106 and U.S. Highway 101 going to Hoodsport.
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