Irrigation Fest wraps two full weekends of events for 130th year

Tradition remains strong for Washington’s longest running festival.

A common phrase was echoed along the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s Grand Parade route on Saturday — “We come every year.”

Festival fans like Sarah and Kenna Bradley of Sequim watch the parade from a truck bed with their corgis, while princess-to-be Addison Lancheros of Sequim watches from chairs with family wearing a tiara and holding a scepter.

One-hundred-and-thirty years in, the festival remains for the foreseeable future to be held on the first two weekends each May.

The first weekend – Crazy Callen Weekend – brought most festivities to Carrie Blake Community Park in recent years, including Family Fun Days, the Kids Parade, Trashion Show and the Community Dance.

The weekend honors D.R. Callen, who was called “crazy” for conceptualizing with James R. Grant, H. Hucksford and Captain Thomas Jones the idea to build ditches to bring Dungeness River water to local farmland. The first festival was held on May 1, 1896 to celebrate the first Dungeness River headgate being lifted a year prior.

This past weekend is considered the Grand Finale Weekend with the parade, Classic Car Show, run series, and more, with the Sequim Logging Show running adjacent to the festival as a separate nonprofit. Organizers said turnout was strong, including more than 100 entries for the Grand Parade, and about 100 for the festival’s run series, which moved back to the second weekend and along the parade route. Sequim High School’s operetta “Oklahoma!” also finished its two-weekend run on May 11.

Matthew Wolpert, a dentist from Neah Bay, won the 5k race, and said he’s run at festival the last two years.

“It’s great to have these races, and it’s fun to have it on the parade route,” he said.

One of the many draws for the parade is the festival’s royalty float, this year designed by Guy Horton to look like a steampunk ship.

He and all other leaders of the festival are volunteers. A float builder remains needed for next year along with other volunteers. To sign up, click on the “Volunteer” tab at irrigationfestival.com.

While this year’s festival is over, the royalty and their float will appear in at least 12 more events through the summer and fall, including the Port Townsend Rhododendron Festival this weekend on May 17, the Port Angeles Fourth of July Parade, Seafair Torchlight Parade on July 26, Joyce Blackberry Daze Festival on August 2, and Quilcene Fair on Sept, 20.

For more information on the festival (set for May 1-10, 2026), visit irrigationfestival.com.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Irrigation Festival Royalty spread cheer during Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Sarah and Kenna Bradley of Sequim watch the Grand Parade from their truck bed with corgis Winnie and Wanda. The family has come every year to the parade, they said, and this was Winnie’s second time and Wanda’s first.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen Brian Bartow and Sean Yokoyama compete in the log roll. Yokoyama won first place in the competition, and a number of other competitions at the Logging Show on Saturday.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Friends Kenny Johnson (179) and Miller Rose (157), both 8, run the 1-mile race for the Sequim Irrigation Festival for the first time. Kenny ran his first race at the Sequim Sunshine Festival and caught the bug, his mom said, while this was Miller’s first race ever, his mom said.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Friday evening, the Logging Show hosted a fireworks display in Sequim.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Five-year-old Autumn Madison shares a cheer with passers-by of the Sequim Wolf Pack and Cheer fundraising booth during the Sequim Irrigation Festival on May 10.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Sequim FFA students brought a bunny along for Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Mike Dashiell, the Sequim Gazette’s former editor, gives a thumbs up by the grain elevator as the grand marshal of the Grand Parade on May 10.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Jeffrey and Amanda Gerhard took Jeffrey’s 2007 Z06 Chevrolet Corvette to the Irrigation Festival Car Show for the first time this year. Jeffrey said he has owned this, his “dream car” for a year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Two-year-old Jackson Guyver of Port Angeles passes time waiting for the Grand Parade to start drawing with chalk along Washington Street with his family.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen Kyleigh Johnson, 9, and Claire, 7 weeks, had a good spot for the Irrigation Festival Grand Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Firefighters Jeremy Long and Jake Stanley with Clallam County Fire District 3 watch the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s Grand Parade from atop their fire truck.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen Duncan Burns, 11, and Sylas Plue, 7, work on a giant Tetris puzzle together at the Irrigation Festival Car Show.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Port Angeles’ Riley and Sonja Hannam hold their two-year-old daughter Summer during the Grand Parade. The couple said they come watch every year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Honored pioneer Betty Kettel waves to the crowd during the Grand Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ A Shriner greets children during the Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Sequim Mayor Brandon Janisse enjoys the ride in a cool car during the Grand Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Skye Larsen, 8, of Port Angeles spins a bow staff with fellow members of White Crane Martial Arts during the Grand Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Sequim Food Bank volunteer Lily Neal hands out seeds to spectators of the Grand Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Irrigation Festival royalty from 2024, from left, Kailah Blake, Ariya Goettling, and Sophia Treece, not pictured Ashlynn Northaven, celebrate at the end of the Grand Parade on May 10.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Fathoms of Fun Queen Miah Strombach from Port Orchard dances to wild music atop her float with a princess behind.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Ten-month-old Tessa Silva and Brinley Wilcox, 7, of Port Angeles enjoy some pre-parade snacks on May 10 prior to the Irrigation Festival’s Grand Parade. Mom Ryley Silva said they come to the parade every year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Jennifer Pettit and Dorinda Ray with KSQM 91.5 FM announce the latter portion of the parade near Seventh Avenue.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Sequim High School’s cheer squad performs a routine for the crowd near downtown Sequim.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Nell Clausen and fellow members of the Sequim Sunshine Rotary and Sequim High School Interact Club promote the Flag Subscription program where they place about 650 U.S. flags on five holidays — President’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day and Veterans Day.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Junior Royalty princesses Stella Good and Briella Gleason wave to spectators at the Grand Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Junior Royalty princesses Madelyn Davis and Savannah Fuller wave to spectators at the Grand Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Trish and Dave Bekkevar wave to the masses during the Grand Parade while promoting the Sequim Logging Show.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Cody Hanning, on right, watches the Grand Parade with his daughters, niece and family-friend as the Mt. Olympus Detachment of the Marine Corps League drives in front of the Sequim grain elevator.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Friday evening, the Logging Show hosted a fireworks display in Sequim.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ A large gathering of car aficionados came together for the Irrigation Festival’s Car Show on Saturday.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ John Thomas shared his 1954 custom Mercury Monterey with a small block Chevy engine with folks visiting the Irrigation Festival’s Car show. He holds in his hand a binder detailing the car’s journey from a junkyard in San Andreas, CA. He built it out, including all the paint and body work and “the upholstery was done by Rich Hawkins of Sutter Creek, Calif.”

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Duncan Burns, 11, and Sylas Plue, 7, work on a giant Tetris puzzle together at the Irrigation Festival Car Show.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Roger Glenn discusses the 1958 Pontiac Chieftain he restored, which he has owned for 15 years, with passers-by.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Andy Hodder of Buckley was a contestant at Saturday’s Logging Show in Sequim.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Mike and Martha Nicholas competed in a number of events at Sunday’s logging show. It was Martha’s birthday, and she said she is “proud to be 65,” and competing with the younger women.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Sequim Log Show by Carrie Blake Community Park was a popular destination over the weekend.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Queen Lily Tjemsland waves at the crowd as this year’s Irrigation Festival float passes down Washington Street in the parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Contestants in Sequim’s Logging Show watch other contestants climb 60 foot poles last weekend.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Contestants in this year’s Sequim Logging Show wore red shirts which contrasted beautifully with temperate blue skies.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Andy Hodder of Buckley was a contestant at Saturday’s Logging Show in Sequim.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Contestants in Sequim’s Log Show watch other contestants climb 60 foot poles last weekend.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Nate Hodges won the 140cc power saw competition with a time of 7.4 seconds and the axe throw at Saturday’s Logging Show in Sequim. Hodges is no stranger to winning logging competitions.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Contestants in last week’s Sequim Log Show climb 60 foot tall poles and compete at sawing speed.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The European Super Slide was a hit with young and old at the Logging Show last weekend. Piper Jorngsen, almost 6, holds tight to her father Riley as they reach the bottom.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Navy band Northwest grooves past admiring children during the Grand Parade in Sequim last Saturday.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Hoquiam High Marching Band wends its way down Wash. St. during the Grand Parade in Sequim last Saturday.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Theo Walgren, Henry Walgren, Aria Grubb, Noah Grubb and Danny Grubb receive candy during the Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Members of the Boys and Girls Club march in the Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Sequim Acrobatics teacher Mia Underwood carries a student during Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Port Scandalous Roller Derby League turned out for Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ North Olympic Library staff and volunteers in this year’s special tee-shirt handed out candy to children in the crowd during Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Anais, age 6, greets her father Oliver as she rides with the Little League of Sequim and the two of them direct their attention to other members of the family.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Martial arts teachers and students with White Crane Martial Arts demonstrate their moves during Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Empowered Equestrians were shining with smiles during Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Brekkavar family hauled a load of logs due to be auctioned at the Logging Show along Sequim’s Irrigation Festival Parade.