1st Annual Salish Sea Festival at Rosario Resort Orcas Island Washington

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Celebrate the salty tastes and traditions of San Juan Island waters this fall. Savor fresh oysters on-the-half-shell, wild-caught local salmon and engaging conversation, talks and demonstrations on October 15, 2016 at Rosario Resort, overlooking the waters of East Sound on Orcas Island.

The 1st Annual Salish Sea Festival will bring together seafood lovers with engaging speakers and panels on salmon conservation, tribal and local traditions, history and challenges of shellfish and seafood production in San Juan County.  Attendees will enjoy workshops on local seaweed and sustainable, locally sourced sushi ingredients.  Participants may also choose to take a boat tour to a local shellfish farm and hatchery on Lopez Island or take a van to tour a salmon hatchery on Orcas Island.

At 5 pm, the Festival will host a Taste of the Salish Sea featuring small tastes prepared by renowned chefs who highlight the unique flavors of our islands and the surrounding sea.  Nationally acclaimed chefs from the Willows Inn on Lummi Island; Hogstone’s Wood Oven, Rosario Resort and the New Leaf Café on Orcas Island, will be among those preparing hyper-local bites.

The Salish Sea Festival offers a rare opportunity to get an intimate perspective of seafood in the Salish Sea. To purchase tickets and to get more information, visit

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salish-sea-festival-tickets-27131042679

The festival is part of Savor the San Juans—A fall celebration of Food, Farms and Films www.visitsanjuans.com/savor

Arctic Raven Gallery in Friday Harbor: Northwest Coast Native Art

Taking a ferry to San Juan Island from Anacortes is a short, but scenic way to begin your visit to the San Juan Islands. We sailed into Friday Harbor for the day. There’s so much to see during a day trip, you might just miss this gem.

Not far from the harbor you’ll encounter a gallery filled with some of the most intriguing quality Native art outside of museums. The collection of Arctic Raven Gallery includes Northwest Coast Indian masks, jewelry, wood carvings and prints.

The art represents local peoples including the Coast Salish, Kwaguilth, and Makah nations as well as the more northern Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian.

While the day trip from Anacortes, we stopped in to Arctic Raven and realized we were in a special place with amazing collections. In one corner was the stunning “Multiple Ravens” by Jason Hunt, a mask-headpiece with intricate carving that brought the layered ravens to life.

At the price of $12,000, we thought the mask should be left for the serious collector.

I was drawn to Greg Henderson’s (Weiwaikum) colorful “Box of Treasures,” a yellow cedar box with a serious eagle perched on top. ($1,800).

If you have traveled in Alaska, British Columbia or the Pacific Northwest, you may have had the opportunity to visit Native cultural centers or museums to see the native art of the local people. If you ever have the chance to see a ceremony such as a pole raising or a social dance in full regalia, you will begin to understand and recognize the symbolism depicted in pieces such as found in this gallery. The symbols are part of the culture and heritage of the Northwest. You’ll find the staff at the gallery knowledgeable and well-connected to the Native artists.

I suggest that visitors stop in to see the collections at the Arctic Raven Gallery. They have sterling jewelry, more inexpensive items suitable for souvenirs and two stories of amazing Northwest coast and Arctic Native art. You might just be enticed to start your own collection.

More Information

Website

130 1st St S
Friday Harbor, Washington
(360) 378-3433

Visiting Anacortes
Visiting the San Juan Islands