Fun at the Fish Fest!

What a beautiful day at the Fisherman's Festival in Bodega Bay! After a month of high winds and chilly temperatures, we really lucked out and today's weather couldn't have been better. It was sunny and warm with only an occasional slight breeze. Staffed by volunteers, the Fisherman's Festival is Bodega Bay's primary annual fundraising event for many worthy community organizations.



It was the first time our family attended and wow, what a blast! The place was packed, and no wonder. Live music, wine tasting, seafood, crafts booths, and more, all right on gorgeous Bodega Harbor with the rolling hills in the background. It was a postcard setting. (You can click on the photos to enlarge them.)


I think the highlight of the day was the Wooden Boat Challenge. Each team had to build a wooden boat in three hours, then race it around a short course in the harbor. Each team had four members or less and received a basic package of building materials.



There were teams with names like the Wasabi Rockets, Buoys in the Hood, and Team Whaleship, representing the Bodega Bay Fire Dept., Santa Rosa Firefighters, US Coast Guard, UC Davis Marine Lab and other local organizations. It was wild! One boat sank. Another one couldn't row straight, crossed directly in front of oncoming boats, and caused at least one collision.



The food was delicious. The fish and chips were fantastic and drew long lines of hungry customers to prove it. The barbecued oysters were also a big hit.




Here's our realtor extraordinaire, Ed Vail, of Coldwell Banker Coast Properties. A dedicated volunteer, Ed has shucked thousands of mouth-watering oysters for this fundraising event over many, many years. Not to be outdone, his wife Jane runs the popular fish & chips booth next door.


Yes, this dog is wearing shades! "Mugsy" is on the shoulder of The Pet Guy who sells all kinds of handmade pet gear under the name of Bite Me Pet Products.


UC Davis Marine Center had a booth displaying sea life from nearby tide pools.


A local llama company had several of these striking animals at their booth. The owners demonstrated how to make the fur into yarn.


The US Coast Guard presented a dramatic demonstration of saving someone from the water. Can you see the guy with the fins jumping down from the helicopter? The "victim" in the water is off to the right.



The live music was fantastic. The Tomales High School Rock Band blew everyone away with their version of Oya Como Va.


The Seven Deadly Zins was an excellent band, the crowd loved them. And there was so much more! Our camera's card filled up before the pet parade so we didn't get any more photos. But we saw tons of adorable, well-behaved dogs. My husband shot this one with his cell phone:


And tomorrow morning, the big event will be the blessing of the fleet and a boat parade. And over at The Links at Bodega Harbour, they're holding a Fisherman's Festival Golf Tournament. What fun!