The 24th annual Shrimpfest kicks off on Saturday, May 27 with arts and craft booths, activities for kids, belt sander races, food, a beer garden, live music and Hood Canal shrimp – lots of it.

Last year, the festival sold out of its 1,000 1-pound packages of frozen Hood Canal spot shrimp. This year, there are 1,400-1,500 pounds of shrimp, supplied by commercial tribal fishermen, said Joe Searight, organizer and proud 44-year resident.

Spot shrimp not from Hood Canal recently sold in Port Townsend for $22 per pound, so the Shrimpfest’s $15-per-pound price is not only a bargain, but probably the only place to get genuine Hood Canal spot shrimp, said Phil Thenstedt, president of the Emerald Towns Alliance and Shrimpfest organizer.

“We ran out last year, but come early to get some,” said Searight.

“The shrimp look real good this year, and we tried to load up on seafood. We have a pretty good selection of prepared seafood,” added Thenstedt.

“There’s shrimp gumbo, lobster mac and cheese, pan-fried oysters, salmon burgers, shrimp salad, clam chowder, fish and chips, shrimp and chips, clam strips, deep-fried Hood Canal shrimp, Hood Canal shrimp Caesar salads, grilled Cajun shrimp skewers, crab cakes, shrimp rolls, salmon Caesar salad, seafood paella with Hood Canal shrimp, and crab and shrimp melts.

“For those who don’t like seafood, there are gyros, corn dogs, smoked turkey legs, Uncle Jim’s sausages, garlic fries and other goodies,” he explained.

A beer garden, run by local Veterans of Foreign Wars volunteers, helps visitors to wash it all down.

Belt sander races, on the new belt sander track, are a Shrimpfest favorite.

“I think it’s a blast, and we really put a lot of effort into improving the experience,” said Thenstedt. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are helping out.

To join in, bring your own belt sander, or rent one from the fleet of sanders, some modified, some not.

“You won’t necessarily know if you have a special sander,” explained Thenstedt. “Last year, some visitors happened to get a lucky pick and surprised themselves, winning every race.”

Sander races are scheduled to begin at noon on both days.

Three musical acts perform at 10 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. on both days.

Returning artists Old Sidekicks are a bunch of old guys who like to play music on stringed instruments, explained Thenstedt. They play at 10 a.m., Saturday and 1 p.m., Sunday.

Locust Street Taxi, a band born in Quilcene and big favorites in the region, combine jazz, humor and fun. They play at 1 p.m., Saturday and at 3 p.m., Sunday.

The Eric Miller Band, named for its singer-songwriter, plays at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Arts and crafts booths offer all sorts of wares, including the signature shrimp necklaces and this year’s new Shrimpfest shirt and hats.

“What I am excited about is the weather report is calling for no rain,” said Thenstedt. “The last five years have had some rain. People in Washington expect rain and are used to it. It was nasty last year, but we had one of most successful Shrimpfests. We tried to get the rain out of the way earlier in the year.”

The two-day event runs until 6 p.m. on Saturday, and continues on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The location is 251 Hjelvicks Road, near U.S. Highway 101, a couple of miles north of downtown Brinnon. Parking is free with Shrimpfest’s $5 entry fee, which funds music and entertainment. Active military personnel, veterans and kids ages 12 and younger are admitted for free.

Money raised from Shrimpfest goes back to the community, with donations to the PTO and school programs, a graduating senior scholarship, school meal backpack program and food bank.

For more information, go to

brinnonshrimpfest.org.