Sequim Irrigation Festival Celebrates the Water

Spend a weekend in Sequim discovering Where Water is Wealth at the community’s 115th Irrigation Festival. The Olympic city peninsula is know for it’s mild climate, and is frequently referred to as Washington’s banana belt.  I’m not sure that it’s quite THAT warm there, but it is far more temperate that much of the state.

The city name, an Indian word meaning calm waters, is correctly pronounced “skwim.”   We poke good-natured fun at visitors who mispronounce it as see-kwim.  In additional to its nice weather, Sequim is also famous for its Dungeness crab and its beautiful and plentiful lavender crop.

The Irrigation Festival is one of those quirky community events that celebrates historically important events, in this case, bringing irrigation from the Dungeness River to the prairie of Sequim.  Residents believed the idea was crazy at the time, but despite little money and harsh geography,  the headgates to an irrigation ditch opened on May 1st, 1896, providing water to the community.

This annual festivalencourages residents and visitors to explore the many facets of Sequim, the mountains, the water, the people, and the quality of life the community has to offer.  As with all community festivals, there will be entertainment, parades, arts and crafts, food, and lots of special events. Check the event listing here.

Location:  Sequim is about an hour and a half drive from Seattle and involves taking the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry; it’s about two hour drive from Tacoma.  There are a variety of routes to take.

Date & Time:  May 1st – 9th, 2010.  The schedule of events list details regarding times of various activities and events.

Admission:  Most events are free.  Consult the schedule of events for those activities that may have an additional charge.

Photo credit: Eponabri @flickr