Irrigation Festival: A sneak peek before going ‘Out the Gate’

By Matthew Nash • March 21, 2023 1:30 am
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Like a puzzle on the TV show “Survivor,” unscrambling this scene from the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float will reveal one of its animations for the upcoming parade season. The float will be revealed at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Like a puzzle on the TV show “Survivor,” unscrambling this scene from the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float will reveal one of its animations for the upcoming parade season. The float will be revealed at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino.

Let Sequim’s waters flow, it’s Irrigation Festival time.

This Saturday, March 25, the annual Kickoff Dinner and Auction at 7 Cedars Casino, 270756 U.S. Highway 101, ushers in the 128th year of the festival, the oldest and most continuous running in Washington. As the biggest fundraising event for the all-volunteer festival, proceeds help fund royalty court scholarships, float construction and its related travel expenses.

Remaining tickets cost $85 at Kickoff2023.givesmart.com. Non-attendees and attendees can bid here on silent auction items through 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. The live auction accepts in-person bids only, organizers said. For an offline ticket, contact Robin Bookter at 360-316-9235. Dinner includes prime rib, with chicken or vegetarian options available upon request.

As tradition before the dinner, organizers unveil the float at 4:45 p.m.

It was designed and built by Guy Horton with help from David Blakeslee and John Riley. They’ve been hard at work in recent months on the float based on this year’s theme “128 Out the Gate” with multiple animations and will be about 13 feet tall.

“I think it’s going to play really well (at events),” Horton said.

“This year’s (royalty outfits) are rich. A lot of the float’s palette comes from their dresses.

“It’s absolutely spectacular.”

This year’s royalty features Queen Pepper Reymond, Princess Anne Marie Barni, Prince Fred Cameron, and Princess Paige “Skylar” Krzyworz.

Supply chain issues hit particularly hard this year, Horton said, so crew members were more purposeful to use materials from floats years before, including lumber and artificial grass. Horton attempted to step away from float building but returned to help his wife Lynn and other crew build the 2022 float.

For more information on upcoming events for the 128th festival, set for May 6-13, visit irrigationfestival.com.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash As expected, water remains a highlight of the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float. Organizers reveal it at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ As expected, water remains a highlight of the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float. Organizers reveal it at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash As expected, water remains a highlight of the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float. Organizers reveal it at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ As expected, water remains a highlight of the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float. Organizers reveal it at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ This year's Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty float reuses many materials from past floats, including artificial grass.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash As expected, water remains a highlight of the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float. Organizers reveal it at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ As expected, water remains a highlight of the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty float. Organizers reveal it at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 outside 7 Cedars Casino.