Organizers of the NW Colonial Festival at the George Washington Inn in Agnew said the third year for the event met its attendance and budget goals.
See a photo gallery of the event here.
From Aug. 10-13, volunteers recreated the beginning of the American Revolutionary War with highlights including recreations of the “Skirmish on Lexington Green” and the “Battle for Concord Bridge” along with a colonial village, period-appropriate music and more.
Event director Dan Wilbanks said the event “really set a new benchmark.”
“People noticed the difference,” he said. “They told me ‘you raised it up a notch or two’ and I told them we had the talent here.”
Some of that talent included more than 70 volunteers reenacting the time period including John Adams, Ben Franklin and George Washington.
Wilbanks said there was great weather on Friday and Saturday and roughly half of the attendees were either from the Olympic Peninsula or the Seattle area.
He also estimates children attendees grew at least 30 percent.
“We’re going to continue on this road,” Wilbanks said. “ We want it to be an event on the West Coast.”
He and other organizers through the nonprofit George Washington Society are looking to the fourth year set for Aug. 9-12, 2018, by adding to their volunteer core, encampments and children’s area.
Military and Revolutionary War historian Jeff Dacus has agreed to be the festival’s historical consultant, too.
Organizers also are considering shorter lecture times so they can have more sessions, Wilbanks said.
For more information on the NW Colonial Festival, visit www.nw colonialfestival.com.
To volunteer or support the event, call Wilbanks at 541-817-3353 or email to dlwilbanks@gmail.com.
Veronnica Allen, right, shows Joyce and John Loftus of Port Angeles how the printing press worked in 1775. Allen and her husband Dr. Gove Allen of Utah operated a replica of Isaiah Thomas’ Printing operations at the NW Colonial Festival on Aug. 10-13.
Jack Pauly as Sir John Redmayne, left, demonstrates a duel with David Wine as Lt. Peter Ten Brock in front of the George Washington Inn. They showed different swords from the time period and before.
Volunteers recreate the “Battle for Concord Bridge” by the George Washington Inn. They acted out the battle four times each day during the NW Colonial Festival Aug. 10-13. Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash
