County Fair Kicks Off Today

Wahoo! Today kicks off the annual County Fair in Elma! Are you going? What day are you going?! What's your favorite part? Food? Animals? Exhibits? Entertainment? Games? Rides? Rides!!!

If it seems like I'm excited about the County Fair, its because I am. The fair is the epitome of summer in a place where we aren't gauranteed other summer staples... you know, like sun and heat. I look forward to the fair every year as my opportunity to be a little country, have some fun and celebrate the summer season. And if you've ever been to another county's fair, you know that Grays Harbor puts on one impressive festival! And if you haven't....consider yourself lucky. I lived outside of Washington State for four years and I never encountered a fair that was as robust or country as Grays Harbor's.

I'd write more, but I'm way too excited to get there already!

This year's theme is "Our Colors, Our Country, Our County Fair" and the five days of fun starts today. Visit the GH County Fair website for more information on admission, events, entertainment times and more.

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!

Get to know your local band: Nicholson Keaton!

Catch Westport locals Nicholson Keaton at the Mermaid Deli and Pub every 2nd and 4th Friday and acoustic sets on Sundays

 Who's in the band and what do they play? (Left to Right)Steve Jay bass/vocals Lonzo Tackett drums David Anderson guitar/vocals. (EARMUFFS)

Where did the name come from? The name came from the 1989 Batman movie (Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton).

How long has everyone been playing? We all started in the 4th grade. (Interviewer note: I can't prove this is Nicholson Keaton but I also can't prove it isn't Nicholson Keaton.)

Who are your top five influences?

What's your favorite song to play?

Where can we keep up to date with you? We are the Mermaid Deli and Pub's house band, Mac's Tavern and on our Facebook Fan Page.

Lighthouse Ballet Academy presents Don Quixote

This weekend, you will have the opportunity to see incredibly cute children having a fabulous time dancing to classical music on stage.

(ex. 1: cute child)

Not only will they be having a good time, these children have actually been instructed on various ways to move around so that we, the audience, might find it entertaining (and also probably incredibly cute - just saying). 

(ex. 2: children with skills)

The Lighthouse Ballet Academy of Hoquiam will be performing Don Quixote this Friday and Saturday at the Aberdeen High School auditorium. Luis, the Academy's head honcho, ensures me it will be a great show with beautiful costumes and lovely choreography. "After seeing our ballet, you will no longer need to go to Seattle to see a beautiful show," he says. Based on his dance posture, I'm going to trust him.

(ex. 3: professionals)

From what I remember from the episode of Wishbone that I watched when I was in 7th grade, Don Quixote is a pretty cool story and, I'm guessing, a very interesting ballet. I was particularly excited to see these boys with masks on during the rehearsal I dropped in on.

(ex. 4: bearded children)

There certainly are many reasons to check out the show this weekend. To find out more about the story behind the ballet and to get your tickets, check out the Lighthouse Ballet Academy website!

Grays Harbor Outdoor Adventure and Travel Expo

This weekend is the second annual Outdoor Adventure Expo.

April 28th-29th.

Crew members from the deadliest catch.

Prizes and fun for the family.

Grays Harbor County Fair Grounds.

Eva Shockey of “Jim Shockey Hunting Adventures”.

Glen Hall of the fishing and hunting show “Hawg Quest".

Expo tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for youths 6 -13, children 5 and under free.

Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday and

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Children are welcome to cast for prizes at Cabela’s Fishing Pond.

Having lived on the Harbor for most of my life, it is hard to convey to people who are not from our beautiful area just how important the surrounding wildlife is to our outdoor experiences.

I would even go as far as to say that most of us either are a hunter/fisher-person, or know someone who is, which usually translates into a freezer full of yummy fish and meat to smoke, grill and fry!

flyer courtesy of www.ghcfairgrounds.com/OutdoorExpo.

And don't forget to visit Local Magazine Horns and Hooks booth!

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.