It is number 34
Posted Thursday Feb. 22, 2007 --------- By Joel Hack – Common knowledge has it that when you hit 30 everything starts to go downhill. The Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival at 34 is heading into a strong and upbeat year.
Two dozen volunteers were at the Festival’s monthly meeting Wednesday evening. A little rain didn’t slow them down. Festival President Ginni Bassi called on each committee leader to give reports. Problems were brought up and the group discussed and teased out solutions. The group approved several small changes to a diverse set of items: craft’s booth changes, pricing for the wooden boat challenge and feeding the volunteers.
2006 Boat Parade at the Fisherman's Festival
Click here to visit the Fish Fest website
The Festival, throughout its history, has raised money for local community needs. Before the Fire District was formed, the bulk of the money raised went to supporting the volunteer ambulance company, volunteer fire company and fishermen’s support of salmon restoration projects. With the advent of thetax supported fire district, the local needs supported have broadened. The festival supports school programs, Bodega Bay Church’s funds for the needy, the Historical Society, the Community Association, the Grange, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association and a long list of other smaller organizations. The Festival has also sponsored, since its beginning, scholarships for local students.
This year’s festival is no different with a long list of applications from those organizations seeking an “allocation.” Each year a committee of volunteers reviews the applications and makes a recommendation to the body of the Fisherman’s Festival. The Festival is a recognized legal charity with a 501(c)3 IRS designation. The Festival is officially a non-profit corporation with officers and such stuff.
In 2005 the Festival distributed over $60,000 to the qualifying organizations. Last year, for the first time, predictions of rain suppressed attendance and allocations were held at $42,000. 2004 allocations were $46,500. 2002 was $40,000. 2001 was $36,500.
This extravaganza evolved from humble beginnings, considerable trial and error and some painful lessons.
Several features of the festival have remained consistent over the years: its hardworking volunteers and the boat parade.
In the early ‘60s the affair was held in October and was called Discovery Days. There was a boat parade, a barbecue, a raffle and a dance. Presiding over the whole affair was the Queen of Discovery Days who was selected mostly by the number of raffle tickets she sold. There was no bathing suit competition, but looks and personality played a part in the raffle ticket sales.
All the proceeds from the early events went to the Bodega Bay Volunteer Fire Department. After a few years, interest waned and Discovery Days would become this historical footnote. The President of the local Chamber of Commerce in 1973, Karl Rhode-Hamel sparked the effort to start the Fisherman’s Festival modeled after the Discovery Days affairs.
In April to coordinate with the opening of the salmon season, the Festival lost the beauty queen and barbeque but gained the fish fry, bathtub races and art show. The event was staged at the Bodega Harbour Yacht Club on Smith Brothers Road.
In the mid 70’s Bodega Bay Area Rescue formed. Affectionately known as B-BAR, the volunteer organization was formed to train and operate an ambulance. Horrific auto accidents and long waits for inland ambulances generated widespread volunteer support. Funds from the Fish Fest were used to buy the first ambulances.
In 1978 the festival was held at Westside and Bay Flat Roads, familiar now as the horse trailer parking area. After some near calamities with sinking crafts booths, the Festival moved the next year to Westside Park.
The Festival has since expanded food selections. A juried craft show ensures a wide variety of delightful objects to purchase. The famous boat parade has become the featured highlights of the festival each year. Pictures of the parade have graced many magazines and newspapers. The casting of a floral wreath and the Blessing of the Fleet are a sincere and heartfelt part of coast life.
This year another boat parade is scheduled for Sunday April 22. The colorful and extremely popular parade is a treat for the many visitors that line the shore of the Harbor. Though the fishing industry is still undergoing very difficult contractions, there will be a fleet of fishing vessels motoring out of the Harbor for the blessing. The number and extent of decorations will be down from past years.
Another change this year is the absence of bathtub races. Instead there will be a wooden boat challenge. Committee chairman Mike Lewis explained teams of four will have three hours to build a watertight boat. A kit of materials will be provided. The boat will be built using non-power tools (except battery powered screwdrivers) on Saturday April 21. Teams will then have to race their boat over a short, marked watercourse. There are 10 teams already entered. The building of the boats is great entertainment and the race is a crowd pleaser, said Lewis. The boat building teams start the competition at 10 a.m. The race will be at 1:45 p.m.
The festival will have, as in recent years, music by local musicians, food booths, the juried crafts show, clown lagoon and displays by local non-profits and service agencies. Mary Cook has promised another pet parade on Saturday afternoon. A raffle and a golf tourney round out the fun and fundraising events.
