9th Annual Irish Festival

When you hear the following, what do you think of?

Molly's Revenge, Darby O'Gill, Sons of Malarky, Stout Pounders...

If images of tall frothy glasses of Guiness and rollicking fiddle music fill your imagination you are on the right track. 

This weekend the 9th Annual Irish Music Festival, the largest on the west coast, is set to commence.  There will be 3 fantastic venues on the Harbor, with 8 stages to enjoy the music, and 25 Irish bands to dance along with.  Starting on Thursday October 25 and continuing through Sunday the 28th, come out and check out the festival events in Ocean Shores and Hoquiam.

Ticket sales are available by cont Galway Bay Irish Pub at 360-289-2300 and the price for the All Venue pass is just $60.  Not to bad for an entire weekend of music and drinks!
(If you choose to go day by  day the schedule of pricing is available below.)

Day                 Galway Bay               Ale House
Thursday       5pm til close-$5         Dinner $25/person
Friday         11am til 5pm-$10         Free
Friday         5pm til close-$15        $5
Saturday       10am til 5pm-$15         $5 all day
Saturday       5pm til close-$20        $5 all day
Sunday         10am til 5pm-$5          Free

ShamRock the Coast!


Those Venues once more for the 9th annual Irish Music Festival for 2012:
Galway Bay Irish Pub - Ocean Shores, Washington
8th Street Ale House - Hoquiam, Washington
Ocean Shores Convention Center - Ocean Shores Washington
Cli here for the schedule of events!

Minors are not allowed at the 8th Street Ale House

Minors are not allowed at Galway Bay after 5pm on Friday, all day on Saturday, and Sunday before 5pm

Minors are allowed at the Ocean Shores convention center all days until 10pm
Bands are scheduled to come from Ireland, Canada, Illinois, Oregon, California, New York, and Washington

Friday Five: Logging Lingo

With Logger's Playday weekend upon us its time to break out the flannel, the suspenders and the Stihl hat and proudly show your logger pride (you know all of that is somewhere in the depths of your closet.). But don't let your logging expertise end at surface level- image isn't everything. To show that you're a true logging aficionado (as every Harborite should be!) be sure to sprinkle logger lingo into your daily conversation this weekend.

Wait... you have no idea what a contour felling is or a grapple skidder? Never been a rigging slinger or a snap guy? Never even picked up a chainsaw? Eh, no worries! We've got you covered with these five words, cleverly redefined for this very weekend, that will make you sound like a logging expert. Just toss these around while you enjoy the annual weekend festivities and you'll fit right in. We hope.

1) Logarithm: (noun) The natural meter and cadence of the act of logging.
Example: Look at old lumber Jack workin' that saw over there, he's got natural logarithm!

2) Logicize: (adjective) A new style of exercise offered at the gym, where movements mimic the strenuous work of logging. Classes end in the signature "TIMBER!" move, where participants fall straight to the mat like a tree.  
Example: Have you tried the 5 o'clock Logicize class? The sawing motion really works the core muscles!

3) Logistician: (noun) A professional doctor of trees, charged with diagnosing and correcting arbor ailments.  
Example: My ol' cedar tree was looking a little green, so I called the logistician in for an annual check up.

4) Logogram: (noun) The new, trendy cracker treat for kids. Like a teddy gram, only shaped and flavored like logs. Example: My kids love the new logograms. They're the perfect after school snack, especially with a side of maple syrup for dipping!

5)  Logomaniac: (noun) One obsessed with the art of logging and the logging lifestyle. A true treesman who worships the forest around them. And probably wears a lot of flannel.  
Example: Oh man, have you seen lumber Jack lately? He's really turned into a logomaniac!

So, there you have it. Your own personal log (harhar) of vocabulary to get you through the weekend. Now, if you're still wondering where you can play wordsmith this weekend, the annual Hoquiam Logger's Playday festivities will take place throughout the day on Saturday. Visit the Facebook page for more details, or the City of Hoquiam website.
But here's the jist of what's happening:
6AM - Rotary Club Pancake Feed @ Our Lady of Good Help
8AM- Truck Driving and Binding Throwing competition @ Levee & 8th Street
10AM- 4PM Vendor Fair @ downtown Hoquiam (visit our booth!)
12PM- Hoquiam Elks Parade. Route starts on 9th, continues down K Street
2PM- Lions Club Salmon Bake @ Washington Elementary School
6PM- Logger's Playday Show @ Olympic Stadium. Buttons are $3 for entry
9PM- Hoquiam Elks Dance featuring Ready or Not. 21 & over. Admission

The Fab Four, Loggers Playday and more more more!

With so much going on this weekend we here at GoGo wanted to wrap up the upcoming events into a nice little package and stick a bow on top to make planning your weekend of fun stress free.

Even though we are back to school and there is a tiny chill in the air, it is in fact still summer and there are many summer festivals to be enjoyed this upcoming weekend.

Speaking of festivals, Pacific Beach is soaring things into high gear this weekend with the Up Your Wind Kite Festival.  Sponsored by Hi-Flyers kite shop, this kite festival is family friendly and full of fun.  Up Your Wind is happening both the 8th and the 9th at the Pacific Beach State Park. 

Cosmopolis is also hosting a festival that will once again be hosted at the Cosmopolis Elementary School.  The Cosi Festival in the Park has operated out of the school for the past three years due to park closure when the Mill Creek Dam broke.  However, the show must go on and so will the festival this year on Sunday the 9th!

Did we mention that it is Logger's Playday weekend?  Officially starting with the Rotary Clubs pancake feed and including the Elks Lodge grand parade, Loggers Playday offers something for every history buff in town.  The Loggers Playday loggers show is a must see, along with fireworks and booths that will have you working up a logger's sized appetite.  Hoquiam hosts Loggers Playday and the festivities begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday the 8th!

If Music is more your thing then you should definitely be in Westport this weekend for the Dock of the Bay Blues Festival.  Running from Friday to Sunday the Dock of the Bay Blues Festival is the beaches answer to Loggers Playday.  Live music and food and booths to make every music lover smile.  Head to Westport this weekend for Blues music and fun.


When you are looking for live entertainment, the D&R Theater never dissapoints.  This weekend the D&R is throwing a concert that you must simply see to believe.  The Fab Four tribute band that is so much more than a tribute band will be performing on Sunday the 9th.  These musicians attention to detail makes this show a can't miss performance.  Make sure the D&R Theater is on your list for this weekend.  A perfect way to finish off the weekend!

Not to mention Hoquiam's First Thursday on the 6th of this week, the Jack Reynvaan Memorial Run at the Hoquiam track on Saturday the 8th, the Brady Clean Water Oyster feed on Saturday the 8th, the Seabrook Saturday Market on Saturday the 8th, and the AAOS Arts and Crafts festival in Ocean Shores the 7th-9th.

It is a Kite flying, Park festival, Blues playing, Loggers Playday this weekend and you must simply get out and enjoy!

There's a Jeanius Among Us

"Jeans for 1000, Alec."

"This store, known for its trendy take on the classic jeans and t-shirt look, is located in Hoquiam, WA."

"What is...Pure Clothing?"

"You are correct!"

Seriously, if you ever wanted to change your mind about the jeans and t-shirt fashion style that is oh so typical of Grays Harbor, you need to take a visit to Pure Clothing in Hoquiam. Shopowner JoKay has so carefully hand selected the items in her shop that I guarantee you will see jeans-and-tshirt in a whole new, very trendy light.

Hand selected, you say? Yes! If you meet JoKay in person, you will immediately realize that the store is an extension of her. Trendy, funky and fun, yet down to earth and instantly warm. Everything in her store must reflect the relaxed and hip, down to earth style that she embodies and that she has observed around the Grays Harbor area so she scours everything from garage sales to thrift stores from here to California to bring back unique versions of the style. JoKay says, "What are we as a community? We're a jeans and t-shirt community." But she says it with matter of fact pride, and gestures around her store. There's no shame in being a casual community, and her intention is to keep it fresh and unique. 

But what makes it what it is...is the jeans. Oh, the racks upon racks of killer jeans that are available! There are skinny jeans, flare jeans, capris, bellbottoms and men's jeans! 'Jean'ius JoKay's eye for quality denim means that you'll be getting pairs of fantastic jean labels (Silver, Levi's, Maurices and more) at affordable prices. Her expert eye ensures that she omits pairs with "unwanted holes" and keeps pairs that shout fashionista! and make you stand out in a crowd. In a good way. Start at the jeans, find yourself a couple of pairs, then move along to the t-shirts and accessories. You'll have no trouble finding your own style that's 'Purely' Grays Harbor at Pure Clothing.

Why shop out of town for trends that reflect Grays Harbor? Visit Pure Clothing at 317 7th Street in Hoquiam on Thursday, Fridays & Saturdays from 11a-6p.

Or visit pureclothinghoquiam.blogspot.com!

A colorful array of t-shirts are available at Pure Clothing

Hot August Frights at 7th Street Theater

photo courtesy of 7thstreettheater.com

Hot August Frights is coming to the 7th Street Theather in Hoquiam this Saturday August 25th.

From noon to midnight you can curb your craving for Monster Madness with a line up of shows that is sure to scare. (if you like to be scared!)

$15 for whole day $5 for one show

This fright night is presented by our friends at AXB and Pure Clothing

The line up includes:

12:00- White Zombie (1932) 73 minutes
    a woman turned into a zombie slave!
1:30- Revolt of the Zombies (1936) 62 minutes
    destroy the ancient formula that turns mild mannered men into zombies!
3:00- King of the Zombies (1941) 65 minutes
    zombies with personalities that turn on their creator!

?ARE YOU NOTICING A THEME?

4:30- House on Haunted Hill (1958) 75 minutes
    a haunted house party gone oh so very wrong
6:00- Little Shop of Horrors (1960) 73 minutes
    giant man eating plants, oh my!
7:30- War of the Monsters (Gamera vs. Barugon) (1966) 77 minutes
    lizards with lazor breath and reptilian energy fields...hmmm
9:00- Last Man on Earth (1964) 86 minutes
    living dead and a reluctant vampire hunter!
10:30- Night of the Living Dead (1968) 96 minutes
    hiding from blood thirsty zombies in a farmhouse!

Say Hello to our Brighter Summer Businesses

We are so excited for what is to come this summer. We are working on creating what we think will be the BEST booth at the summer festivals this year! Trust me, you'll want to come out and find us... so here's where we'll be:

Aberdeen Art Walk on July 28th

Hoquiam First Thursday (next to Gray's General Store) on August 2nd

The Kelpers Day Parade in Pacific Beach
-Want to be in the parade with us? We'd like to take our Bicycle Revolution to Pacific Beach! Email us for details. gogograysharbor@gmail.com

Logger's Playday

The Pacific Beach Sand Sculpture Competition
-We have a big announcement about this one too. Check back soon!


So, we want to introduce you to our lovely summer sponsors. You'll be hearing more from them as we have some fun this summer. We encourage you to go pay a visit to their fantastic establishments and tell them thanks for sponsoring this project of ours!

Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill

It's Saturday morning and you had a little too much fun at the bar last night - why not go grab a Bloody Mary from Half Moon Bay and enjoy the view of the Westport Marina? They also have great food, friendly service and live entertainment!

Vacations By The Sea

After a day of yummy seafood and fresh ocean air, you'll probably want to stay at the beach forever! Well, at the very least you can make a weekend of it and rent a condo right on the beach. The good people at Vacations By The Sea will help you plan the trip of your dreams!

Gray's General Store

If you're having trouble trying to find that perfect beach tote bag, why not make it yourself?! Gray's General Store in downtown Hoquiam has all of the supplies you need, and the knowledgeable staff, to get your summer crafty projects going. They also carry a wide selection of cute and quirky gifts for everyone on your list - many of which are locally made. And grab a cup of hot coffee or tea and stay a while on those foggy days while you wait for the sun to break through.

Lunch

If you want the freshest food in town, head over to Lunch in Aberdeen. Their selection of sandwiches, salads, and soups are drool worthy (I know I'm addicted - I eat there at least once a week!) and they also serve up espresso drinks and a yummy lemonade. Order at the counter and have a seat in their warm and inviting dining area. You can also find their sandwiches available at a variety of coffee shops across Grays Harbor! And make sure you like their page on Facebook to see what specials Chef Erin is cooking up this week!

Bergey Voice Studio

I'm sure you've been getting a lot of time singing in the car while you're on your summer road trip and maybe you've wondered "if I had a little training, I could probably be famous." Well, we think you're right so why not grab a lesson or two from Kelsey at Bergey Voice Studio located in downtown Aberdeen? Pick your favorite song and Kelsey will help you perfect it so you can start playing all of those open mic nights you've been dreaming about.

Pacific Beach Inn

Looking to get out of town, but want to keep it low key and somewhat local? We suggest you head up to Pacific Beach Inn. This is as close to the beach as it gets with ocean views and close proximity to a beach that isn't overloaded with vehicles. You are walking distance to all that Pacific Beach has to offer and the Inn Keepers Jen and John are very friendly and take pride in their recently renovated and clean rooms. Our blog team is even looking forward to a "corporate retreat" out there this summer!

Pure Clothing

We Grays Harborites love our jeans and t-shirts and we love getting them at Pure Clothing in Downtown Hoquiam! This little shop is filled to the rafters with unique, high quality used clothing. It's the perfect place to find a new outfit for relaxing this summer and for you music fans, you could probably spend hours in here looking for your favorite band t-shirt!

Queen B Quilts

If you find you've collected a few too many t-shirts over time, why not turn them into a quilt?! Queen B Quilts is a Hoquiam business that will turn your t-shirt collection into a cozy quilt. They make great graduation or Christmas gifts (might as well get a jump start on the holidays, right?) and they will work with you to create a memorable quilt that you can take to all of your beach bonfires and summer picnics this year.

The Salty Dog

For all the love your dogs give you, don't you think they deserve a little spoiling every once in a while? If you're looking for the cutest treats and toys for your pup, head up to The Salty Dog in Seabrook. Their shop is full of great gifts for dogs and those who love them. And many of them are perfect for beach lovers too! I saw the cutest knit sweater with a crab on it last time I stopped in and a crab toy made of rope to go with it!

So there you have it folks! Go say hello and thanks these Brighter Summer Businesses for their support! And visit us at all our summer festivals this year!

Harbor 1/2 Marathon and 5k Run

I may need to preface this by, I am not a runner, but I play one on tv. 

Actually, I know quite a few runners who are geared up for this weekends 5k in Hoquiam.  13.1 miles designed for both beginning runners and for those avid marathoners. 

Bands will be playing at 8th street landing from 12:00-5:00p.m. and all runners will receive coupons from local businesses.  This is a great chance to get out and support the community and become a bit healthier at the same time.

The race is open to participants 19 years and older and will begin at 11:00 with registration between 9:00-10:30 at 8th street landing in Hoquiam. 

You can find all race info here including race route and registration form for your participation t-shirt.

If you are unable to participate this weekend, Hoquiam has so many fun runs lined up in the coming months including the Haunted Hoquiam, Turkey Trot and Ho Ho Hoquiam.. all of which are a good time frame away to start training.  Remember our interview with Sheena Paniagua?  Check it out again for some great tips on how to get started in the world of running!  Or check out another online resourse coolrunning.  Whatever you do this weekend, get outside and do something!

Saturday Shopper: Gray's General Store in Hoquiam

Gray's General Store

Owned by Britta and Judy Folden, Established 2012

520 Simpson Ave.

Hoquiam WA

360.532.0366

www.graysgeneralstore.com

www.facebook.com/graysgeneralstore

M-F 11am-6pm; Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 12pm-5pm

All About the Business:      Gray's General Store is a source for high quality, handmade, local goods. Come in and find the perfect gift or make something yourself using the variety of sewing and craft supplies in the store. You can even stay a while and use the sewing studio for the day to work on your project away from the house or, better yet, bring some friends in to make something together!

What Makes Your Business Unique?      We are expert makers. We will use our creativity and resources to help you make something yourself and we guarantee you will have a good time. And for the coffee and tea snobs out there, we've got some really good stuff for you to try! Our coffee comes from a Seattle roaster who buys direct, meaning everyone involved is fairly paid, and our tea is from an artisan tea-maker out of Portland. Customers have claimed it's the best tea they've ever had! Not only do we believe in quality, but we love having unique products in our store. Most things we carry are not available anywhere else in Grays Harbor and we are adding new things every day.

Advice for New Customers: Come in and say hello! Tell us what you're working on. Bring us your questions and out-of-the-box ideas, we love the challenge of answering them.

The Saturday Shopper: Pure Clothing

Pure Clothing   

Owned by JoKay Daniel        

Established 2010

317 7th Street

Hoquiam WA

360-533-9670

pureclothinghoquiam.blogspot.com 

Thursday-Saturday 11am-6pm

All About the Business: Pure Clothing is located inside the Historic 7th Street Theatre building in Downtown Hoquiam. The store features trendy recycled clothing for Hoquiam, Ocean Shores, Aberdeen and all of Grays Harbor County.

What Makes Your Business Unique? Pure Clothing specializes in used jeans and band t-shirts.            

Any Advice for First Time Customers? If you like jeans and t-shirts, don't expect to be in and out in 5 minutes!

Where on the Harbor....

...can you see the below mural of this mythical creature?

Comment with your answer! And be more specific than "Hoquiam" please!

The Hills Are Alive!

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens, Bright copper sleigh bells and hot yellow mittens, Round paper geese that fly with a string........ these are a few of my favorite things.... or something like that.

Haven't you just been dying to tear those old curtains off the window in your kitchen (ya know, the ones with the ducks looking at each other underneath a heart) and make some flashy new dress to wear out for a night on the town? ME TOO. The musical nun/nanny in my family got all of our clothes at Lamonts.

I'm sure you've been wondering exactly when you would finally be allowed to sing along in a public setting about your favorite things and some rare German bird called Eddelwiess... or is it a tree? Regardless, now is the time!

Or maybe you've always wondered what the heck happens to that musical Austrian family because, like me, you always stop watching the movie after the nun sings Climb Every Mountain because things kind of get a little dark and sad.

Well, the sad part is still in the movie BUT it won't be so bad when you've got all dressed up and stuffing your face with buttery popcorn at the theatre this Friday and Saturday night! Come out to the 7th Street Theatre for what will surely be an entertaining evening. The movie starts at 7:30pm both nights and Saturday will also include a costume parade and the Hoquiam High School to help lead everyone in singing along. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. For more info on where to get tickets or to find lyrics to all of the songs, check out the 7th Street Theatre's website.

The Polson Museum

The Grays Harbor area's history might be fairly short, but this little area has gone through a lot in the last 150 years! I payed a visit to the Polson Museum on Sunday for their Holiday Open House. They warmed me up with their hospitality and hot apple cider then filled my head with a lot of interesting stories about logging history, Native American crafts and 100 year old photos, among other things.



Since I am a semi-professional HGTV viewer, I couldn't wait to see the layout of this mansion, built for the Polson Family in 1926. My home-gawking needs were more than fulfilled by this place. It is beautiful and maintains it's historical integrity, including a couple of closets full of antique clothing and a child's bedroom full of toys (although maybe if you have an irrational fear of dolls like I do, this isn't a room you'll want to check out - at least if it's dark).


If you are interested in the early history of Hoquiam and Aberdeen, they have a great deal of old photographs. I actually got to step into their offices (the old maid's quarters) to see the area where they archive old photos, some from as far back as the mid 1800's. I was told that they have digitized somewhere around 13,000 photos! I imagine that I could spend weeks in there just looking at all the old photos, but I held back and only spent about 2 hours there looking at old slides and learning more and more about what life was like back in the days of the logging boom.




The Polson Museum also has a lovely little gift shop where they sell a variety of local books, gifts and posters. They even have their own wine which they sell at Swanson's grocery!


The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4pm. There is a minimal entrance fee. Find out more about their exhibits and history on their website www.polsonmuseum.org.