With demolition of the Elwha River dams in Olympic National Park scheduled for 2011, mark May 27 on your calendar to celebrate the "Last Dam Summer Party."
The event, to be held 7 p.m. 10 p.m. that day at the Holidy Inn Express in Sequim, not only will celebrate continued work to restore the river's natural flows but also to raise funds for continued education, preservation, and protection of the national park.
Tickets are $35 per person.
The evening will feature appetizers and desserts highlighting Olympic Culinary Loop Association members; an auction complete with travel packages, artwork, dining opportunities and more; entertainment by “Therapy Session” from Forks, and; a special appearance by a national park yellow bus.
The Olympic Culinary Loop Association showcases Olympic Coast Cuisine by bringing together the region’s culinary interests from farm to table and supporting a local distribution system that reduces their carbon footprint. The May 27 event will feature chefs from the Ocean Crest Resort in Moclips, Lake Quinault Lodge and Kalaloch Lodge preparing appetizers from local ingredients. Food will be donated by Nash’s Family Farm, Sequim; Short’s Family Farm, Chimacum; Wild West Seafood and Mushrooms; Little Skookum Shellfish Growers; and Ocean Crest Resort, Moclips. Dessert will feature Elevated Ice Cream from Port Townsend and wine selections will include the Olympic Cellars Winery and other Olympic Peninsula Wineries.
Olympic Culinary Loops Association President Peter Becker said his group has a special attachment to Olympic National Park as the region’s biggest tourist draw.
“We ask visitors for three, three, and sleep – experience three excursions, eat three meals a day and sleep in our local lodgings,” said Becker, who also owns the Little Skookum Shellfish Growers.
To purchase tickets to the May 27 event or donate an auction item, visit lastdamsummer.org.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner for Olympic National Park. Your gifts are fully tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. The Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization Tax ID #01-0869799. Visit wnpf.org to learn more about the fund or get involved.
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Comments
Sounds like a fancy feast!
My nephew and I will be dining on freeze dry and gorp as we backpack a few days up the Elwha during this time, on a shakedown adventure before he heads out with a group of his peers later this summer.
I highly recommend this film for anyone interested:
Unconquering the Last Frontier, The historic saga of the damming and undamming of Washington’s Elwha River. The Elwha River once produced magnificent 100 lb. King salmon. But Early in the 20th century, two dams cut off all but 5 miles of the river from spawning fish. Today those big Kings are the stuff of legends.
CAPTCHA = voided history
It's about time this dam went away. The celebration menu sounds delish, wish I could make it. I look forward to a future hike along the Elwha.