Taste the bounty of the Olympic coast at the eighth Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival sponsored by the Elwha River Casino and Westport Shipyards.

The festival is Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11, on the Port Angeles City Pier, at the Gateway Center and the Red Lion Hotel.

Crabfest is the annual celebration of the region’s bounty – seafood, agriculture, aquaculture and maritime traditions. Hours are 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, and

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11.

Opening ceremonies start at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, with the Elwha Klallam Drum Group and an opening blessing from spiritual leader Ben Charles Sr. of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

Activities at the festival include:

_ A fresh crab feed from High Tide Seafood, served with Sunny Farms fresh corn and Nash’s organic cole slaw

_ Food from more than a dozen restaurants including Toga’s Soup House, CrabHouse Restaurant, Sabai Thai, Dungeness Crab Cake Company, Mystery Bay Seafood, Sergio’s Hacienda and the Bell Street Bakery.

On the pier, sample dishes from the Alaska Scallop Association, Jeremiah’s BBQ, Van Goes Pizza, plus roasted corn and ice cream.

_ A wine and beer garden will feature wine provided by Olympic Peninsula wineries and Northwest beers.

_ Cooking demonstrations

_ The Grab-A-Crab Tank Derby, sponsored by High Tide Seafood and Wilder Auto, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Families can participate in this unorthodox derby by crabbing from large holding tanks using crab snares and bait.

The $5 fee allows you to crab for 10 minutes, no license or gear needed. You can buy the crabs to take home cooked or uncooked. Catch one of the tagged crabs and win a prize.

_ On the pier are more than 50 crafts and merchants booths and live music on the festival stage.

_ At the Gateway Center, wine barrels were transformed into 10 unique art barrels as part of a community "Paint the Town" project. Barrels will be sold during a silent auction.

_ The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula presents the children’s program, including the Small Fry Series, a schedule of talks and workshops geared for younger persons.

___Sunday is family day, offering more activities, including a chance for youngsters to fill their education cards, earn prizes and get chances at a drawing. A community chalk art project will be ongoing Sunday, weather permitting.

_ The education program, sponsored by First Federal, offers activities throughout the event including cooking demonstrations at the Gateway Center featuring local and regional chefs.

_ Environmental, marine and agricultural exhibits at booths at the Feiro Marine Life Center and NOAA Discovery Center in The Landing.

Admission is free. Much of the space is covered so activities can continue regardless of weather.

For more information, contact www.crabfestival.org,

e-mail info@crabfestival.org, or phone 452-6300.