There’s always a lot to look forward to when summer turns to fall in Washington. From apple picking to pumpkin patches, you’ll find ways to celebrate the season in every county. But in Port Angeles, autumn means it’s time to show appreciation for something else: seafood. The annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival returns in October, and you won’t want to miss it.

Port Angeles is the perfect setting for a seafood festival.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook Located on the outskirts of Olympic National Park, this little coastal city has an impressive waterfront where the festivities take place.

The festival celebrates the world-famous Dungeness Crab, named after the nearby Dungeness Spit, and the bounty of the sea.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook This means you’ll get to enjoy this tasty crab right where it’s born.

This year’s festival dates are October 11-13, and there’s plenty of fun (and food) to be had.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook From Friday’s Grab-A-Crab Derby to Sunday’s awards ceremony for the Chowder Cook-Off, there’s never a dull moment here.

Of course, the food is why the majority of people attend the festival, and seafood lovers will not be disappointed.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook There’s plenty of food available on the City Pier as well as in the Kitsap Bank Crab Central Tent, which features food from eight local restaurants, a raw oyster bar, and beer and wine (plus, live music).

But as delicious as the seafood is, it’s also fun learning about the history of the area and the role Dungeness Crab has played in it.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook You can also learn about the happenings of the Port Angeles area. The US Coast Guard Search & Rescue Demonstration and the owing demonstrations by the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association, for example, are always interesting.

During the festival, you’ll be welcomed and encouraged to take crab and other seafood to-go so you can cook up a feast at home.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook You’d better bring your biggest cooler.

The Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival will help visitors learn about the natural environment of the Olympic Peninsula, and most of the proceeds will be used to educate people about the local watersheds, habitats and other environmental issues that affect local aquaculture and agriculture.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook In other words, it’s a big party for a great cause.

Ready to attend the festival? You can find all the information you need on the official website. And if the weather cooperates, you can also check out some of Port Angeles’ many outdoor attractions.

Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival Facebook

Located on the outskirts of Olympic National Park, this little coastal city has an impressive waterfront where the festivities take place.

This means you’ll get to enjoy this tasty crab right where it’s born.

From Friday’s Grab-A-Crab Derby to Sunday’s awards ceremony for the Chowder Cook-Off, there’s never a dull moment here.

There’s plenty of food available on the City Pier as well as in the Kitsap Bank Crab Central Tent, which features food from eight local restaurants, a raw oyster bar, and beer and wine (plus, live music).

You can also learn about the happenings of the Port Angeles area. The US Coast Guard Search & Rescue Demonstration and the owing demonstrations by the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association, for example, are always interesting.

You’d better bring your biggest cooler.

In other words, it’s a big party for a great cause.

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