Today we're exploring Port Townsend at one of the anchors of the community, Northwest Maritime.

Now, this place is this awesome all the time.

But one weekend a year, it gets really awesome.

This is the McCurdy Library at Northwest Maritime, where you can find information on all things maritime and wooden boats.

But if you want the inside scoop on the Wooden Boat festival, you're gonna have to talk to an expert.

This is Barb, festival director.

Can you tell me what makes this festival so special?

Yeah, I love to talk about that.

It's really a celebration of boats and of craft and community.

It's not a boat show, which so many are.

It's not based on commerce.

It's based on celebrating.

So we don't necessarily reward the prettiest boat.

We reward people that have been out sailing and people that are using their boats.

And so everybody comes here in a spirit of celebration.

That's awesome.

Can you tell me what all goes on at the festival?

What's it like?

Oh, man, it's so busy.

We have over 100 presentations of people sharing their knowledge and teaching people about going offshore, or about medical emergencies at sea or about how to steam bend.

And, people can do a lot of hands on activities.

They can build things, make cheese boards, do woodturning, and they can also go dancing.

There's great food, there's great bars.

We have three pop up bars with the most incredible views.

One of the things that is really special and unique about this festival is we let everybody on all the boats, and that's unheard of.

So people can tramps all over people's boats and check them out.

But you can also go out on boats and that's a really unique opportunity that we love providing.

That is so cool.

I can't wait for the Wooden Boat Festival.

I'm Angela.

And I'm Barb.

Thank you for exploring.

We'll see you.