Are you ready to fly?

With motto in tow (“122 Skies of Blue”), the 2017 Sequim Irrigation Festival got things officially rolling on Saturday, March 25, with the annual Kickoff Dinner at 7 Cedars Casino in Blyn, unveiling the airplane-themed float and raising funds for the longest continuous running festival in Washington.

Festival director Deon Kapetan said they don’t have total funds raised from the event — which included live and silent auctions, festival pin bids and more — but that it looks like it will exceed last year’s effort.

See a slideshow of the events here.

“We’re pretty positive about what the outcome will be,” Kapetan said. “Overall, we’re ahead. The silent auction did very well.”

Reviews of the float, designed by longtime volunteer Guy Horton, were quite positive too, Kapetan said.

“Guy is our best designer — and he is not allowed to quit,” she said.

The festival’s first weekend — Crazy Callen Weekend — is May 6-8, followed by the Grand Finale Weekend May 12-15.

Find a calendar of events, news, bios, photos, a history of the festival and more at www.irrigationfestival.com or www.facebook.com/ SequimIrrigationFestival.