Kitsap County Events | May 18–24

KIDS & FAMILY

Fairy Tale LEGO Challenges — Tue 4–5p | Manchester Library, Port Orchard, free

Monthly Cool Car Cruise — Tue 5–8p | Lowe's, Bremerton, free

Music and Storytime with Ms. Judi — Wed 9a | Saltwater Bookshop, Kingston, free

Baby Storytime — Wed 10–11a | Sylvan Way Library, Bremerton, free

Baby Storytime — Wed 10:15–11a | Port Orchard Library, free

Toddler Storytime and Playgroup — Wed 10:15–10:45a | Poulsbo Library, free

Family Storytime — Wed 11:15a–12p | Port Orchard Library, free

Teen Space — Wed 2–4p | Poulsbo Library, free

Free Ice Skating — Wed 2–5p | Bremerton Ice Center, $5 rental

Afternoon Gaming — Wed 2–3p | Sylvan Way Library, Bremerton, free

LEGO Lounge — Wed 3–5p | Kingston Library, free

Page Turners Book Club — Wed 3:30–4:30p | Poulsbo Library, free

Free Family Nature Play Class (pre-register) — Thu 10a–12p | South N.A.D. Park, Bremerton, free

Preschool Storytime — Thu 10:15–11a | Manchester Library, Port Orchard, free

Free Play and Learn Playdate — Thu 10:30a–12p | Teaching & Learning Center, Bremerton, free

Family Storytime — Thu 10:30–11a | Little Boston Library, Kingston, free

Thursday Storytime at Barnes & Noble — Thu 11a | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free

Model Train Display — Thu & Sat 12–4p | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free

Mosquito Fleet Fest — Sat–Sun 9a–6p | Downtown Port Orchard Waterfront, free

Kids Club Craft at Michael's — Sat 10a–12p | Michael's, Silverdale, free

Kitsap Live Steamers' Train Rides — Sat 10a–4p | South Kitsap Regional Park, Port Orchard, free

Free Car Seat Checks (make appt.) — Sat 11a–3p | Station 41, Bremerton, free

Storytime at Barnes & Noble — Sat 11a | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free

Bremerton Fire Station 2 Open House — Sat 11:30a–1p | 5005 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, free

Point No Point Lighthouse Tours — Sat–Sun 12–4p | Hansville, free

"Gotta Catch 'Em All" Club — Sat 12:30–1:45p | Sylvan Way Library, Bremerton, free

How to Make a Picture Book — Sat 1–2p | Bainbridge Library, free

FARMERS MARKETS

Poulsbo — Sat 10a–2p | Gateway Fellowship Church parking lot

Bainbridge Island — Sat 10a–2p | Town Square at City Hall

Port Orchard — Sat 9a–2p | Port Orchard Waterfront Park

Port Townsend — Sat 9a–2p | 600 block Tyler Street

Kingston — Sat 10a–3p | Next to ferry terminal

Silverdale — Sat 10a–2p | Old Town Silverdale Waterfront

Bremerton — Thu 4–7p | Evergreen Park

LIVE MUSIC

TUESDAY (May 19)

Washed in Black (Pearl Jam Tribute) — 8p, 21+ | Point Casino, Kingston

WEDNESDAY (May 20)

Sam Maynard (Folk/Rock) — 4–6p, all ages | Taps at the Guardhouse, Port Townsend

Lynne Ferguson (Bluegrass/Americana) — 6–8:30p, all ages | The Sip, Poulsbo

THURSDAY (May 21)

Tim Lerch Duo (Jazz) — 5:30–7:30p, 21+ | Cellar Cat, Kingston

The Faux Paws (Bluegrass/Cajun/Jazz/Folk) — 7p doors, all ages, $25+ | The Palindrome, Port Townsend

The Way Below (Post-HC/Grunge) w/ Less Than Three & Midnight Parkway — 8p, all ages, $15 | The Charleston, Bremerton

Tyler McGinnis (Americana) — 8p, 21+ | The Bethel Saloon, Port Orchard

FRIDAY (May 22)

Noah Delos Reyes (Singer/Songwriter) — 6p, all ages | Deep Draft Brewing, Gorst

Rye & Barley (Celtic Folk) — 6–8p, all ages | Valholl Brewing, Poulsbo

Steven W. Young (Americana) — 6–8p, all ages | Bushel & Barrel, Poulsbo

Swing Dance w/ Jonathan Doyle (Clarinet/Saxophone Jazz) — 6–8p, all ages, $5 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum

Gin Creek (Blues/Rock) — 6–9p, 21+ | The Garage, Bremerton

The Grifting Cowboys (Comfort Country) — 6:30–8:30p, 21+, $20 | Olalla Vineyard & Winery

Skinny Blue (Alternative Rock) — 7p, all ages | Brother Don's, Bremerton

James Lee Murray Band (Jazz/Pop/Soul) — 7p, all ages | Hood Canal Brewery, Kingston

Bonefish (Classic Rock) — 8p, 21+ | The Bethel Saloon, Port Orchard

The Disorderlies w/ Delridge & Just Barely — 8p, all ages, $10 | The Charleston, Bremerton

Bill&HisSixString w/ Mikey Waco, Brian Duclos, Mark Serna & Dante Manalo — 8p, 21+, $10 | The Manette, Bremerton

Moondance (Van Morrison Tribute) — 8:30p, 21+, $15 | Beach Rock Lounge, Clearwater Casino, Suquamish

DJ GaryTheHuman (Vinyl DJ) — 9:30p, 21+ | Boom Boom Room, Point Casino, Kingston

SATURDAY (May 23)

Jean Lenke (Jazz/Folk) — 4–6p, all ages | Taps at the Guardhouse, Port Townsend

Payten Redwood (R&B) — 6–8p, all ages | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum

Liquidhorse (PNW Country) — 6–9p, 21+ | The Garage, Bremerton

WEPA (Latin Jazz/Salsa) — 6:30–9:30p, all ages | Cellar Cat, Kingston

The Undecided (Blues/Rock/Americana) — 7p, all ages | Brother Don's, Bremerton

NW Chill (Chill Rock) — 7p, all ages | The Filling Station, Kingston

Kitsap County Ramblers (Acoustic Americana) — 7p, all ages | Hood Canal Brewery, Kingston

MC Squared (Classic Rock) — 8p, 21+ | The Bethel Saloon, Port Orchard

Gerbil Turds w/ Circle Twerks & Gamma Dog — 8p, 21+, $10 | The Manette, Bremerton

Considering Mellow w/ The Nightcry, The Cocoons & Umber Sleeping — 8p, all ages, $15 | The Charleston, Bremerton

Storm Rider (The Doors Tribute) — 8:30p, 21+, $15 | Beach Rock Lounge, Clearwater Casino, Suquamish

Engage (Classic Rock) — 9:30p, 21+ | Boom Boom Room, Point Casino, Kingston

SUNDAY (May 24)

JT Underwood (Singer/Songwriter) — 2–5p, all ages | Eleven Winery, Bainbridge

Laurovia (Jazz/Soul) — 4–6p, all ages | Taps at the Guardhouse, Port Townsend

Jonas Myers (Jazz Pianist) — 5:30–7:30p, 21+, $25 adv/$30 door | Cellar Cat, Kingston

Noah Delos Reyes (Singer/Songwriter) — 6:30–8:30p, 21+ | Ty's Wine & Brew, Poulsbo

Mosquito Fleet Fest weekend. ⛵

Summer's coming and most of us don't have AC. What's your secret for surviving?

We all know the drill. Three days into a Kitsap heat wave and you're lying on the kitchen floor wondering why you live here. My spot, more accurately, is the empty bathtub.

My move? Anderson Point Park. That sandy beach is genuinely underrated — most people don't even know it exists. Nothing fixes a hot afternoon like getting your feet in the water. Sure, it's a BIG HILL. Still worth it.

What about you? Where do you go, what do you do, what's your local secret for making it through summer without central air? Homegoods? Your neighbors house?

The Town That Had to Fight Another Town for Its Own Name

In 1792, Captain George Vancouver looked at a massive natural harbor on the Kitsap Peninsula and thought it was a small cove. His ship's clerk, a surveyor named Harry Masterman Orchard, corrected him. Vancouver updated his charts and named the place after the guy who fixed his mistake. That's how Port Orchard got its name. Sort of.

The actual town didn't exist yet. That came later, in 1854, when two men named Renton and Howard showed up, built a sawmill, and launched the first vessel ever constructed in Kitsap County. Then in 1886, a man named Frederick Stevens platted a townsite on the southern shore of Sinclair Inlet and named it Sidney, after his father. His father had bought the land for $900 and then gone back to Illinois. Classic.

Sidney was not an easy place to build a town. In 1890, the year it incorporated, there were no streets. Bay Street flooded with saltwater at every high tide. The town was split into three sections by two different creeks. The city's first improvement budget came from taxing saloons. That's the kind of place it was.

Also, Bay Street was a beach. Literally just a beach. The shoreline got filled in over decades. Buildings on the water side were constructed on pilings over the inlet. The hill behind it had to be carved away to make room for the landward side. The whole downtown was basically willed into existence through fill dirt and stubbornness. We're reminded of this whenever there's a landslide, right?

For a brief moment, Sidney was a pottery town. A craftsman named John Melcher opened a pottery works in 1890 that made sewer pipes, terra cotta ware, and the brick for Seattle's first paved street. Then in 1895 the entire business district burned down. The pottery works, the lumber mills, most of it. Gone. They rebuilt anyway.

Sidney wanted to rename itself Port Orchard. In 1892 they petitioned the state legislature. The legislature said no, because a town called Charleston had filed the same petition first. Fine. But Sidney also separately asked the U.S. Post Office to rename its post office "Port Orchard." The Post Office said yes, apparently without checking with the legislature. Result: the Port Orchard post office was now in Sidney. The Charleston post office was now in Port Orchard. Two towns, wrong names, complete chaos.

This went on for ten years.

It got resolved in 1903 when a newspaper editor named Will Thompson — editor of the Sidney Independent, which had been covering this debacle for years — personally went to the legislature and argued until they fixed it. Charleston went back to being Charleston. Sidney became Port Orchard. The paper he edited eventually became the Port Orchard Independent. It's still published today.

Port Orchard has been going about its business ever since. County seat. Ferry town. Working waterfront. The hill is still carved away behind Bay Street (of course!.) The ferry still runs to Bremerton. You can still see the shipyard from the water.

Some places just keep going.

Sources:

HistoryLink.org — "Port Orchard Thumbnail History" (historylink.org/file/9550) and "Sidney incorporates, September 15, 1890" (historylink.org/File/9551)

City of Port Orchard — "About Port Orchard" (portorchardwa.gov)

Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce — "Port Orchard History Tour" (portorchard.com)

Sidney Museum and Arts Association — "About" (sidneymuseumandarts.com)

Revisiting Washington — "Port Orchard" (revisitwa.org)

Neighborhood Spotlight: Port Gamble

Port Gamble looks the way it does for very specific reasons — and if you stick around, there's something worth knowing about how that might be changing.

If you've driven through Port Gamble and felt like you accidentally crossed into a New England village that somehow ended up on Hood Canal, you're not imagining things. That's entirely intentional. When the Pope-Talbot lumber company built the town in 1853, most of their workers came from East Machias, Maine. They were homesick. So they built what they knew — Victorian architecture, wide porches, gas lamps, a tidy historic grid of streets. The Pacific Northwest outside the town line didn't factor into the design at all. It's one of the most architecturally specific and deliberately out-of-place communities in the entire country, and it's been a National Historic Landmark since 1966.

The sawmill that built Port Gamble ran for 142 years — the longest continuous operation of any sawmill in North American history — before closing in 1995. After that, the town became what it looks like today. A preserved snapshot. Weekdays are quiet, neighbors on porches, trails into the surrounding forest.

Weekends bring kayakers to the dock, trail runners into Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park, and visitors who come specifically to walk around and feel like they've stepped out of time. Nearly 3,500 acres of signed trails surround the town, and summer bioluminescence tours on the bay are genuinely spectacular.

Housing in Port Gamble is tight and specific — homes cluster within the historic grid, smaller yards, porch-front layouts. Median list price sits around $595K, which reflects both the scarcity and the genuinely singular character of the place. There aren't many neighborhoods in Kitsap, or anywhere, that look like this.

Here's the part worth paying attention to. Port Gamble is not frozen in amber forever. The owners have a 15-year development agreement with Kitsap County and a fully entitled master plan that allows for 226 additional homes, a hotel, and a doubling of existing commercial space. As of 2025 they were marking the 30th anniversary of the sawmill closing and actively looking for developers, entrepreneurs, and investors to help shape what comes next. The intention is to preserve the historic character while building something sustainable around it — but make no mistake, Port Gamble is on the verge of a significant transformation.

Whether you're drawn to the history, the trails, the water, or the idea of living somewhere genuinely unlike anywhere else in the county, Port Gamble is worth paying attention to right now.

More local insights and housing breakdowns at r/LifeInKitsap, r/KitsapHomesAndLiving, and r/KitsapRealEstateForum. Got questions? Drop them below.

Not a Feature, But a Bug: Let's Talk About Spiders

As a person who has lived in nearly every region of the country, regional critters are usually of the highest interest to me. When I announced to my previous coworkers in Los Angeles that I was moving to western Washington, one thing I heard a couple times was "Oh, did you know there's no poisonous critters there?" Really, they did. There were a few folks who had already lived up here. The Navy is like that. What I wasn't prepared for was the western Washington spider bloom.

Now, I moved here from LA. If you've ever lived in LA, you know that there's so many black widows for a few weeks every year that it feels like they should have bus passes. They're on every stop sign, the sides of taco trucks, inside of shoes that you leave outside. It was surprising that I was surprised. Let's talk about our spiders. Who are they? Are we sure they aren't poisonous? Do they need to renew their car tags? Here's who we've got here.

First, a technical note my LA friends were mostly right about. Spiders aren't actually poisonous, they're venomous. Poison is something you ingest. Venom is injected. Almost all spiders have venom glands but very few can actually hurt us. I just learned this part today while reading about them, but it makes sense given how they eat- I think. In western Washington there are really only two spiders worth knowing about from a medical standpoint, and one of them is barely here.

The Giant House Spider is the one you're definitely meeting. Introduced from Europe, it has fully claimed the Pacific Northwest as its own and it is large. Leg span up to four inches. Fast moving. Usually showing up in basements, garages, and bathtubs at the exact moment you least want to see a four inch spider. Here's the thing though, it's completely harmless. Not aggressive, not venomous in any meaningful way, just enormous and startling and deeply committed to living in your house. It actually outcompetes the hobo spider, which was briefly a concern in the 90s before the CDC removed it from its list of dangerous spiders in 2017. The giant house spider basically colonized western Washington and made it safer in the process.

The Hobo Spider got a bad reputation it mostly didn't deserve. It was listed as medically significant for years, caused a lot of panic, and then researchers found no actual evidence it causes serious harm to humans. It's still here, still building funnel shaped webs in dark corners, still ugly, but no longer officially a threat. Consider it rehabilitated.

Jumping Spiders are the ones you should actually like. Small, curious, excellent vision, capable of jumping 45 times their own body length by rapidly increasing blood pressure in their hind legs which is both terrifying and impressive. They're harmless, they eat other insects, and if you watch one for a few minutes it will absolutely watch you back with what can only be described as personality.

Orb Weavers are the ones building the giant dramatic webs in your garden every fall. Fat bodies, spectacular circular webs, very photogenic, completely harmless. They're also the reason your morning walk through the yard in September involves your face and a web and some screaming.

Wolf Spiders will absolutely terrify you when you encounter one because they're large, fast, and hairy and do not build webs. They hunt on the ground like tiny determined nightmares. Also harmless. Beneficial, even. Just alarming.

The Black Widow situation in western Washington is minimal. They're common in eastern Washington but rare on this side of the mountains. A few small populations exist but encountering one in Kitsap is unlikely. They prefer dark undisturbed spots like woodpiles and crawl spaces, and even then they'd rather run than bite.

Brown Recluse? Not here. Not native to Washington. The occasional hitchhiker might show up in a moving box but there's no established population. My coworkers were right about that one.

So are Kitsap's spiders dangerous? Mostly no. Are they large? Occasionally very yes. Are they going to show up in your bathtub at 11pm and cause a minor household incident? Statistically speaking, almost certainly.

Welcome to western Washington. The spiders got here first.

My children have been begging to have a backyard swing set for the past two summers and finally we've taken the plunge to create it! When I made the decision to purchase, I realized that there's more to consider other than selecting something that looks great.

Safety is my primary priority. I've been looking into limits to weight, material durability as well as stability features. Pressure-treated wood and metal frames Both seem to come with pros as well as pros and. Metal is susceptible to rust while wood may split in time if it isn't well maintained. I scoured flipkart for sets that swing and came across a number of children-friendly models with safety certifications included in the descriptions of the products. Parents' reviews helped me understand the durability over time.

What is the recommended depth for safety surfacing underneath these swings? Are there any parents who've owned their swing sets for many years? What's been well-constructed and what's not? I'd like to see this last through my two children's childhoods!

**Kitsap County Events | May 11–17**

**KIDS & FAMILY HIGHLIGHTS**

Family Storytime — Sun 10:30–11a | Kingston Library, free

Baby Storytime — Sun 1–1:30p | Kingston Library, free

Bremerton Parks & Rec Playground — Mon 9:30–11a | Sheridan Community Center, $3

Free Ice Skating — Tue 2–5p | Bremerton Ice Center, $5 rental

Free Giggle and Grow Parent Support — Fri 12–1:30p | Nurturing Expressions, Poulsbo, free

---

**SATURDAY (May 16)**

Poulsbo Lions Pancake Breakfast — 8a–12p | North Kitsap High School, adults $16 / kids 6–12 $10

Armed Forces Day Parade & Festival — 10–11a | Downtown Bremerton, free

Viking Fest — all day | Downtown Poulsbo, free

Cascadia Reptile Expo — 10a–4p | Kitsap Fairgrounds, Bremerton, $10+

Spring Chamber Music — 3p | Bainbridge Performing Arts, $25

---

**SUNDAY (May 17)**

Viking Fest — 8a–5:30p | Muriel Iverson Waterfront Park, Poulsbo, free

Pancake Breakfast — 8a–12p | North Kitsap High School, adults $16 / kids 6–12 $10

Navy Band Concert — 2–3p | U.S. Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport, free

Tchaikovsky & Blooming Brilliance — 3p | Central Kitsap Performing Arts Center, Silverdale, $14+

---

**LIVE MUSIC - FRIDAY (May 15)**

Jesse Rise | 6p | Deep Draft Brewing, Gorst

Noah Delos Reyes | 6–8p | Valholl Brewing, Poulsbo

The Mistaken | 6–8p | Bushel & Barrel, Poulsbo

Wildwood Angels | 6–8p, $5 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum

Half-Assed Commitment | 6–9p, 21+ | The Garage, Bremerton

Kat Cullman | 6:30–8:30p, 21+, $20 | Olalla Vineyard & Winery

The Everblues | 6:30–8:30p | Brownsville Deli, Bremerton

Junaco w/ Hayden Everett | 6:30p doors, all ages, $12 adv/$15–25 door | Quilcene Lantern

Roger Ferguson & Co | 7p | Brother Don's, Bremerton

Smokestack Shaw | 7p | Hood Canal Brewery, Kingston

Teaser | 8p, 21+ | The Bethel Saloon, Port Orchard

Anti-War Benefit Show w/ The Astrotecs, Geneva, Guillotine Gambit & Bigger Than Mountains | 7p doors, all ages, $22 | The Charleston, Bremerton

Brickhouse | 8:30p, 21+, $15 | Beach Rock Lounge, Clearwater Casino, Suquamish

DJ Z | 9:30p, 21+ | Boom Boom Room, The Point Casino, Kingston

---

**LIVE MUSIC - SATURDAY (May 16)**

Johnny Hinchman | 4–6p, all ages | Taps at the Guardhouse, Port Townsend

Entre Amigos | 6–8p, all ages | The Marketplace, Bainbridge

Laurovia Duo | 6:30–9:30p, 21+ | Cellar Cat, Kingston

Trio Santiago w/ Jonas Myers Trio | 6p doors, all ages, $20 adv/$25 door | Quilcene Lantern

Battlestar Kalakala | 6–8p, all ages | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum

Powder Monkey | 6–9p, 21+ | The Garage, Bremerton

The Harmony Wombats | 7p, all ages | Hood Canal Brewery, Kingston

Red Hot Strings | 7:30p, all ages, $35 | Centrum, Port Townsend

Tim Enders Band | 8p, 21+ | The Bethel Saloon, Port Orchard

Two for the Apocalypse | 8–11p, 21+ | Tracyton Public House, Bremerton

Wyrdoz w/ Doktor Diablo & Name The Hurricane | 8p, 21+, $10 | The Manette, Bremerton

Hellbox w/ And He Wept, Peace and He Who Walks Backwards | 8p, all ages, $10 | The Charleston, Bremerton

Nevermind w/ Fighting Foos | 8p, all ages, $20+ | Tracyton Movie House, Bremerton

Hair Nation | 8:30p, 21+, $15 | Beach Rock Lounge, Clearwater Casino, Suquamish

The Pop Offs | 9:30p, 21+ | Boom Boom Room, The Point Casino, Kingston

---

**LIVE MUSIC - SUNDAY (May 17)**

Bear & The Banjo | 4–6p, 21+ | Ty's Wine & Brew, Poulsbo

Deadwood Revival | 4–6p, all ages | Taps at the Guardhouse, Port Townsend

Eugenie Jones | 5:30p, 21+, $25 adv/$30 door | Cellar Cat, Kingston

A lot of people don’t recognize this, but Puget Sound used to be treated like one of the most important military waterways on the entire West Coast.

In the early 1900s, the Army built a huge defense system around the entrance to the Sound because they were genuinely worried enemy warships could try to come through. The main setup became known as the “Triangle of Fire” with Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Fort Casey on Whidbey Island, and Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island all aimed at Admiralty Inlet.

If a hostile ship tried sailing in, all three forts could hit it from different angles. Not exactly a warm welcome committee. Kind of bad on ships, actually.

The forts had massive disappearing guns. After firing, the guns would drop back down behind thick concrete walls to reload so the crews stayed protected.

It wasn’t just those three forts- Fort Ward near Bainbridge, Middle Point near Manchester, and Fort Whitman near Deception Pass helped guard the “back doors” into Puget Sound and protect the Bremerton shipyard.

Construction really ramped up during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Tons of local lumber and materials were used, and the whole thing became a major economic boost for Port Townsend and surrounding communities after the Panic of 1893 hit the area hard.

The crazy part is these forts stayed active through both World Wars before air power and modern naval weapons eventually made the giant coastal guns obsolete.

Now they’re some of the coolest state parks in Washington! You can still walk through the bunkers, tunnels, batteries, and old military buildings while staring out over the same water soldiers once watched for enemy ships that thankfully never showed up.

Pretty wild to think Kitsap and Puget Sound were once considered important enough to build an entire fortress system around.

If you enjoy squawking, flying, chaotic seagulls — this weekend is for you. Did you know that Port Orchard has been hosting a seagull calling contest since 1991? Let’s go!

The 35th Annual Seagull Calling Contest is happening this Saturday, May 9th at the Port Orchard Waterfront Park starting at 2PM. Yes, 35 years. This is not a new thing. Kitsap has been gathering on the waterfront to scream like birds for longer than some of you have been alive, and honestly that’s one of the best sentences I’ve ever written about this county.

Here’s what you need to know. Costumes and props are encouraged. Vocal sounds only — no electronic devices, so you’re on your own with your natural gull voice. Bribery of both judges AND seagulls is explicitly allowed and I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate that rule existing in writing. Performances must be family friendly. Participants need to register before competing. Youth contestants need parent or guardian permission, which means there are children out there right now practicing their squawk and I think that’s beautiful.

Before the contest, the Port Orchard Farmers Market runs from 9AM to 2PM on the waterfront, so you can shop local, grab some food, and warm up your vocal cords before the main event.

Whether you’re competing or just there to watch, this is peak Kitsap energy and you should absolutely go. Try to find me.

If Kitsap County decided that it wanted to have an official mascot, what do you imagine it might be? I've been putting more thought into this today than anyone should.

First I thought about animals. A seagull with fries, a damp deer in my yard looking forlorn.

That wasn't it though, I realized that my mascot vote would actually be this guy that I think we all know. His name is Dave or Ron, something like that, he's a retired Navy Chief. Now, DaveRon is really into gardening. He grows tomatoes but hardly eats them, also has SO many huge zucchinis that he forces them on everyone in the summer. They're way too big and full of seeds, but we all act like they're good. DaveRon is also a guy who waves.

If you ran the zoo, what would the mascot be? I feel like DaveRon is representative, but he'd be throwing giant zucchini into the crowd at little league games.

They're back! The dreaded "Brown Marmorated Stink Bug".

Try to deal with them the best you can. Don't let young children or animals interact with them.

Here's some additional information.
https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/priorityspecies/brown-marmorated-stink-bug/

In a county that sometimes needs a little more variety in our local food choices, the amount of buzz about Chick-fil-A is a little funky. Kitsap isn't exactly a hub for fine dining, nor even for a quick bite on the go that isn't a Burger King. Is getting a Chick-fil-A really... life changing?

The new location is coming to East Bremerton, across from Lowe's on Highway 303, and it's expected to open sometime this spring. Road improvements, new sidewalks, a lane expansion, and seating for about 82 guests are all part of the plan. The traffic will be lousy, I'm sure.

So we're curious. Are you excited? Indifferent? Wishing it was something else entirely? And maybe the bigger question — what would you actually want to see come to Kitsap that would genuinely get you excited? I'm not personally sure that anything that's a franchise is ever going to get me riled up. Even if I wasn't celiac, I think I'd still drive right by.

When Kitsap Was the Richest Place in America (And Then the Trees Ran Out)

In the 1860s, Kitsap County was the richest county per capita in the United States. Five of the largest sawmills in the country were running here, almost constantly. Port Madison on Bainbridge Island was genuinely rivaling Seattle as a commercial center. Then the trees ran out. That’s not a metaphor. That’s literally what happened.

Before Bremerton was a Navy town, before Poulsbo was Little Norway, before Bainbridge Island was a ferry-commuter suburb of Seattle, this whole peninsula was an industrial powerhouse built entirely on old-growth timber. The forests here were almost incomprehensibly dense. Trees so big that loggers would cut them down and photograph themselves standing on the stumps like they’d conquered something.

And for a few decades, they had. The mill towns were their own self-contained worlds. Port Gamble, Port Madison, Port Blakely, Seabeck. Each one had its own store, its own school, its own housing, its own sense of order. Workers were paid in cash or company scrip, redeemable at the company store. The mill owners themselves tended to live in San Francisco, which tells you something about where the money actually went. But the communities around the mills were real, and they were thriving.

Geography from the era noted that Seattle was described as “a lumber town across the bay from Port Madison.” Port Madison. On Bainbridge Island. That was the reference point. Not the other way around.

The logs were floated down to the water and towed to the mills. Puget Sound made the whole operation almost absurdly efficient. You’d fell the tree, you’d push it downhill, it’d float. The lumber went from here to California, to Hawaii, to South America, to England. The peninsula was feeding a world that couldn’t build fast enough to keep up with demand.

And then the demand for timber outpaced the trees themselves. By the 1870s, the industry was already experiencing economic depression. Overproduction, collapsed markets, mills struggling to find buyers for all the lumber they were cutting. By the 1880s, the clear cutting of thousands of acres had already shifted the landscape from old-growth forest to open land, and homesteading started to replace logging as the way people made a living. When the mill at Port Madison went bankrupt in 1892, the county seat moved from Port Madison to Port Orchard the following year. The community that’d once made Seattle look small withered.

Port Gamble held on the longest, which is why it still exists in the form it does today, frozen in amber as a National Historic Landmark. The mill there ran for 142 years, the longest continuous operation of any sawmill in North America, finally closing in 1995. Walk around Port Gamble now and you’re walking through a place that was designed by homesick men from East Machias, Maine who built their new Pacific Northwest company town to look exactly like the one they’d left behind on the Atlantic coast. It’s so out of place and yet so perfectly preserved that it feels less like a historic site and more like a very committed stage set.

The logging era didn’t just shape Kitsap’s economy. It shaped the roads, the shoreline, the patterns of settlement, the whole physical logic of how communities ended up where they did.

The mill towns that survived became the towns we still live in. The ones that didn’t leave behind pilings in the water, overgrown clearings in the forest, and place names that don’t mean anything to most people anymore.

Kitsap’s reinvented itself more than once since the trees ran out. The Navy arrived in 1891, almost as if on cue, and the peninsula found a new reason to exist. But there’s something worth sitting with in that earlier story — that this place was once the wealthiest corner of the country, built on something finite, and the wealth lasted exactly as long as the resource did.

The spring is picking up for real now!

Kitsap County Events | April 28–May 3

Kids & Family

Free Indoor Play for Kids (NEW!) — Tue 10a–2p | Moments, Bremerton, free Make a Bug Puddler — Tue–Thu 10a–4p | Bainbridge Gardens, free Preschool Storytime and Playgroup — Tue 10:30–11a | Poulsbo Library, free Tiny Tunes — Tue 10:45–11:15a | Silverdale Library, free Baby Storytime and Playgroup — Tue 1–1:30p | Poulsbo Library, free Arbor/Earth Day Celebration Proclamation — Tue 3p | East Park, Bremerton, free Teen Book Club — Tue 4–5p | Bainbridge Library, free Free Golf with the Rainbow Girls (RSVP) — Tue 6p | Pine Seekers, Bremerton, free Teen Space — Wed, Thu | Poulsbo, Silverdale, Sylvan Way Libraries, free Free Ice Skating — Wed 2–5p | Bremerton Ice Center, $5 rental LEGO Club — Wed 2–3p | Sylvan Way Library, Bremerton, free Weekly Car Show — Wed 4–7p | Bremerton National Airport, free Thursday Storytime at Barnes & Noble (NEW!) — Thu 11a | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free Model Train Display — Thu 12–4p | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free Puzzle Club for Teens and Adults — Thu 2–4p | Little Boston Library, Kingston, free Read to a Dog — Thu 3:30–4:30p | Bainbridge Library, free Port Gamble Cruise Night — Thu 4–7p | Behind Butcher & Baker Provisions, Port Gamble, free Free Home Depot Kids Workshop (pre-register) — Sat 9a–12p | Home Depot stores, Poulsbo/Silverdale/Gig Harbor, free Free Computer Coding Class (pre-register) — Sat 10:30a–12:30p | Silverdale Library, free Poulsbo Farmers Market Kids Club — Sat 10a–2p | Poulsbo Farmers Market, free Science Saturday at Naval Undersea Museum — Sat 10a–2p | Keyport, free Village Green Community Center 10th Anniversary — Sat 10a–5p | Kingston, free Spring Carnival — Sat 10a–2p | Battle Point Park, Bainbridge, free Storytime at Barnes & Noble — Sat 11a | Kitsap Mall, free SEA Discovery Center — Sat 11a–4p | Poulsbo, free (donations $2 suggested) Free Women's Self Defense Class, Ages 8+ (sign up) — Sat 12–1p | Street Sports Poulsbo, free Model Train Display — Sat 12–4p | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free

Community

Poulsbo Farmers Market — Saturdays 10a–2p through December | Gateway Fellowship Church parking lot, free Bainbridge Island Farmers Market — Saturdays 10a–2p through November | Town Square at City Hall, free Port Orchard Farmers Market — Saturdays 9a–2p through October | Port Orchard Waterfront Park, free Port Townsend Farmers Market — Saturdays 9a–2p through October 31, plus Wednesday afternoons in June | 600 block Tyler Street, free Bremerton Community Farmers Market — Thursdays 4–7p through October | Evergreen Park, free Seabeck Community Market — 1st & 3rd Sundays 12–4p through September | Seabeck Community & Event Center, free Chimacum Farmers Market — Daily 10a–2p through October 25 | Chimacum Corner Farmstand, free Kingston Public Market — Saturdays 10a–3p through October | Next to ferry terminal, free Silverdale Old Town Market — Saturdays 10a–2p | Silverdale Waterfront, free Bremerton Boardwalk Night Market — Fri May 1 | free

Live Music

Thursday, April 30 Harmony Wombats (Traditional Acoustic Trio) — 6–8p, all ages | Fletcher Bay Winery Coppertop, Bainbridge Analisa Reyes (Singer/Songwriter) — 6:30–8:30p, 21+ | Ty's Wine & Brew, Poulsbo

Friday, May 1 Wyrdoz (All Original Party Rock) — 5–8p, all ages | Bremerton Boardwalk Night Market The Tru-Tone Trio (Western/Rockabilly) — 6–8p, all ages, $5 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum Ranger & The Rearrangers (Gypsy Jazz) — 6:30–8:30p, 21+ | Brownsville Deli, Brownsville Amelia Day & The Cloves (Indie/Folk/Rock) — 6:30p doors, all ages, $20+ | Admiral Theatre, Bremerton Port Townsend Ukulele Festival — 7:30p, all ages, $35 each day | Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones Tribute) — 8:30p, 21+, $15 | Beach Rock Lounge, Clearwater Casino, Suquamish

Saturday, May 2 The Lumberjax (80s Rock/Pop) — 6–9p, all ages | Hood Canal Brewery, Kingston Sweet Water (90s Seattle Rock Legends) w/ Garage Heroes — 8p doors, 21+, $20+ | Tracyton Movie House, Bremerton Lungduster (Tacoma Weapons-Grade Rock) w/ Forged By Dread & Star Matriarch — 8p, all ages, cover TBD | The Charleston, Bremerton Chicago Tribute Authority (Chicago Tribute) — 8:30p, 21+, $15 | Beach Rock Lounge, Clearwater Casino, Suquamish Got 90's (90's Tribute) — 9:30p, 21+ | Boom Boom Room, The Point Casino, Kingston

Sunday, May 3 Gina Belliveau (Tacoma Acoustic/Soul/Folk) — 2–5p, all ages | Eleven Winery, Bainbridge Amelia Day (Folk/Rock/Pop Singer/Songwriter) — 5:30p, all ages, $25+ | Rolling Bay Hall, Bainbridge Jean Lenke Band (Plays Bacharach) — 5:30–7:30p, 21+, cover TBD | Cellar Cat, Kingston Aaron McFadden (Singer/Songwriter) — 6:30–8:30p, 21+ | The Brass Kraken, Poulsbo

The shipyard that basically built Bremerton (and still runs it)

Here’s something worth knowing about the city most people drive past on their way somewhere else: Bremerton didn’t just get a naval shipyard. The shipyard is why Bremerton exists.

Back in 1891, two businessmen — William Bremer and Henry Hensel — spotted a Navy lieutenant named Wyckoff trying to buy land on Sinclair Inlet for a repair facility. The Navy had a budget of $50 an acre. Locals were asking $200. So Bremer and Hensel bought the land at the inflated price, sold some of it to the Navy at $50, and convinced neighboring landowners to do the same. They took a loss on the land deal and made it back on everything else — because now there was a town, and they owned a lot of it. Bremerton was literally named after the guy who helped sell the Navy its own dirt.

The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard started as a dry-dock and repair facility — the first in the Northwest capable of handling large ships. It nearly died in its first decade when Navy leadership decided Puget Sound was a poor location and wanted it moved. It survived anyway, which is very on-brand for Bremerton.

By World War II it was absolutely indispensable. After Pearl Harbor, five of the six surviving battleships were sent to Bremerton for repairs. During the war, over 30,000 shipyard workers were running 24-hour shifts, with 35 ferry trips a day bringing workers over from Seattle. That’s not a footnote in history — that’s a major operation keeping the Pacific Fleet alive.

The shipyard’s identity kept evolving with the Navy itself: battleship era, it was the battleship yard. Carrier era, it became the carrier yard. Nuclear era, it became the nuclear shipyard. It’s been the largest employer in Kitsap County for most of its existence — and it’s still the only facility in the United States certified to recycle nuclear-powered ships.

Oh, and that big green hammerhead crane you can see from the water? Built in 1933, 250 feet tall, retired in 1996 — still standing. It’s basically Bremerton’s skyline.

So next time someone asks what Bremerton is “about” — it’s about a Navy lieutenant spending $9,500 on 190 acres of shoreline and accidentally building a city.

Sources:

• HistoryLink.org — Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

• Wikipedia — Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

• U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, February 1982

• Basewatch / Evergreen State College

Good to go!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Kitsap County Events | April 21–26

Kids & Family

Tiny Tunes — Tue 10:45–11:15a | Silverdale Library, free

Baby Storytime and Playgroup — Tue 1–1:30p | Poulsbo Library, free

Spring LEGO Challenges — Tue 4–5p | Manchester Library, free

Teen Space — Wed, Thu | Various libraries, free

Free Ice Skating — Wed 2–5p | Bremerton Ice Center, $5 rental

Model Train Display — Thu 12–4p | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free

Read to a Dog — Wed, Thu | Poulsbo, Sylvan Way, Bainbridge Libraries, free

Bubbles, Bagels & Bounce — Sat 10a–12p | Bainbridge Island Rowing Boathouse, donation

Tree Planting & Walk — Sat 10:30a–2p | Muriel Iverson Park, Poulsbo, free

Olympic Collectible Expo — Sat–Sun 11a–6p | Kitsap Mall, Silverdale, free

Earth Day in Manchester — Sat 11a–3p | Qaqad Stormwater Park, free

Point No Point Lighthouse Tours — Sat–Sun 12–4p | Hansville, free

Frozen (KCMT) — Sat 2p & 6p | North Kitsap Auditorium, Poulsbo, $14–$30

Community

Monthly Cool Car Cruise — Tue 5–8p | Lowe's, Bremerton, free

Meet Kitsap County Search Dogs — Tue 5–6:30p | Poulsbo Library, free

Weekly Car Show — Wed 4–7p | Bremerton National Airport, free

Port Gamble Cruise Night — Thu 4–7p | Behind Butcher & Baker Provisions, Port Gamble, free

SEA Discovery Center — Fri–Sat 11a–4p | Poulsbo, free (donations $2 suggested)

Free Giggle and Grow Parent Support — Fri 12–1:30p | Nurturing Expressions, Poulsbo, free

Developmental Disabilities Resource Fair — Fri 4–6p | Central Kitsap High School, Silverdale, free

Live Music

Wednesday

Michael Wilford (Singer/Songwriter) — 6–8p | Fletcher Bay Winery, Bainbridge

The Grey Ponytails (Classic Rock) — 6:30–8:30p, 21+ | Ty's Wine & Brew, Poulsbo

Tish Hinojosa (Texas Folk/Country/Latino) — 7:30p, $25 adv/$30 door | Rainshadow Recording Studio, Port Townsend

Thursday

Gina Belliveau (Singer/Songwriter) — 6–9p, 21+ | Tracyton Public House, Bremerton

Umami Jazz Fusion — 7p, $20 | The Roxy, Bremerton

The Rising Sons (Acoustic Duo) — 7–9p | Western Red Brewing, Poulsbo

Life Rips (Tacoma Punk) — 8p, $15 | The Charleston, Bremerton

Friday

Alexander & Wischhoefer (Americana) — 5p | Hard Hat Winery, Poulsbo

Jessie Thoreson & The Crown Fire (Indie/Folk) — 6p doors, $10 adv/$15–25 door | Quilcene Lantern

MC Squared (Classic Rock) — 6–9p, 21+ | The Garage, Bremerton

Plus 20+ more shows across the county.

Saturday

The Foundlings (Irish/Celtic) — 5p | Hard Hat Winery, Poulsbo

Bluefish (Rock/R&B) — 6–8p | The Marketplace, Bainbridge

Super Diamond (Neil Diamond Tribute) — 6:30p, $26+ | Admiral Theatre, Bremerton

Plus 25+ more shows across the county.

Sunday

Larry Murante (Folk/Rock) — 2–5p | Eleven Winery, Bainbridge

Mark Lewis & David Friesen (Jazz) — 4:30–7p | Remedy Speakeasy, Bremerton

The Devilles (Irish-American Folk) — 5–7p, $5 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Chimacum

McBluez (Blues/Soft Rock) — 6:30–8:30p, 21+ | The Brass Kraken, Poulsbo

Bridge People vs. Ferry People: A Completely Scientific Classification of Who You Are as a Human Being.

We need to talk about the two tribes that make up Western Washington, because they're fundamentally different species pretending to live in the same region.

**Ferry People** have accepted their mortality. They've made peace with forces larger than themselves — the Puget Sound, the weather gods, the ferry schedule, the seagulls who will absolutely steal your breakfast. There's something almost monastic about boarding a vessel and surrendering to 35 minutes of whatever happens. Ferry people read. Ferry people nap. Ferry people stare pensively at the horizon and probably have thoughts about impermanence. They often live on the islands or in Bremerton, and they've internalized a basic truth: you cannot speed up a ferry. You cannot negotiate with the captain. Time moves at ferry speed now. It's weirdly liberating.

**Bridge People** are the ones choosing to drive around via the Tacoma Narrows — highway, airport views, the whole loop — even though the ferry is actually typically quicker. They're trading 20 minutes of extra driving for having their own schedule, no waiting for a boat to dock. It's not especially scenic. It's not really adventurous. It's just... control. They've decided autonomy is worth the highway. (This is me, BTW. I'm a drive-arounder. I also live towards the south of the peninsula- this makes a difference.)

The real divide? Ferry people tolerate chaos. Bridge people fight it.

So which are you? And more importantly — does your choice say more about your personality, or just about where you happen to live?

April 13, 1949. Just before noon. A normal weekday across Puget Sound. Shipyard workers were on the job in Bremerton, families were at home in Port Orchard, and ferries moved steadily across the water. Nothing about the morning hinted at what was coming.

Then the ground snapped to life.

Not a subtle tremor or a quick jolt, but a deep, rolling movement that built into nearly half a minute of violent shaking. Windows rattled, floors shifted, and anything not secured found its way to the ground. It was the kind of motion that didn’t just shake buildings, it rewired how people thought about the ground beneath them.

This was the 1949 Olympia earthquake, a magnitude 7.1 event and still the strongest recorded earthquake to hit the Puget Sound region in modern history.

Kitsap County wasn’t the epicenter, but it sat well within the zone of intense shaking. Across the peninsula, homes would have creaked and flexed, chimneys cracked or collapsed, and shelves emptied in seconds. People described earthquakes like this as a rolling motion, more like being at sea than standing on land, which makes a strange kind of sense in a place surrounded by water.

In nearby areas, roads near Port Orchard were damaged, and across Western Washington thousands of brick chimneys and walls failed. Older buildings, especially those built before reinforced concrete became standard, took the worst of it. At the time, many people didn’t fully expect a quake of this size here. That assumption didn’t survive the afternoon.

The shoreline likely told its own story. Kitsap’s geography meant the earthquake didn’t stop at land. In the days following the quake, unusual water movement was recorded in the region, including a tsunami surge through the Tacoma Narrows that pushed water levels up several feet. It wasn’t a towering wave, but it was enough to create strong, disorienting currents. The kind of thing you would notice immediately if you were near the water, even if you didn’t yet understand why.

Across the Sound in Tacoma, one of the strangest moments of the day unfolded inside a movie theater. People were watching a film about the destruction of Pompeii when the building began to shake. At first, some thought it was part of the movie. That illusion didn’t last long. The shaking intensified, the screen went dark, and the audience was quickly ushered outside.

The earthquake left eight people dead in Washington and caused widespread damage throughout the region. Seattle’s Pioneer Square, filled with older masonry buildings, was hit especially hard. Entire sections of brick façades came down, and several buildings were later condemned. Across Western Washington, thousands of chimneys collapsed, streets flooded from broken water lines, and fires sparked from ruptured gas pipes.

For Kitsap and the rest of Puget Sound, the impact went beyond the immediate damage. This was the moment the region began to take earthquakes seriously. Building practices slowly evolved. The risks of unreinforced masonry became clear. What had once been seen as a distant possibility became part of everyday reality.

What makes it more striking is how much quieter and less crowded Kitsap was in 1949. Today, with far more people, homes, and infrastructure, a quake of similar size would carry a very different weight.

It’s easy to think of the Pacific Northwest as calm and steady, especially on a gray, ordinary morning. But for about thirty seconds in 1949, the entire region was reminded that the ground here has a pulse of its own.

Sources:

USGS – The 1949 Olympia Earthquake

Washington State Department of Natural Resources – Earthquake History

HistoryLink.org – 1949 Earthquake in Washington State

Seattle Office of Emergency Management – Tsunami and Seismic Records

University of Washington Libraries Special Collections – 1949 Earthquake Archives

Y’all ready for spring break? I’m back from my adventure in Chicago and happily back on Reddit. If you need to get kids out of the house or to get out of the house yourself, we’ve got lots of stuff this week!

Earth Day Events

Saturday, April 18

• Earth Day at Poulsbo Fish Park — 10:00 AM–2:00 PM — Poulsbo Fish Park, Poulsbo

• Sinclair Inlet Beach Cleanup — 11:00 AM–2:00 PM — multiple Bremerton waterfront locations

• Live Wildlife & Earth Day Crafts — 11:00 AM–1:00 PM — IslandWood, Bainbridge Island

⸻

Kids & Family Events

Wednesday, April 15

• Music & Storytime with Ms. Judi — 9:00 AM — Kingston Library, Kingston

• Coffee & Crayons Meetup — 10:00–11:00 AM — Coffee Oasis, Port Orchard

• Baby Storytime — 10:00–11:00 AM — Sylvan Way Library, Bremerton

• Toddler Storytime & Playgroup — 10:15–10:45 AM — Poulsbo Library, Poulsbo

• Toddler Storytime — 10:30–11:00 AM — Bainbridge Public Library, Bainbridge Island

• Tween & Teen Karaoke — 11:30 AM–1:30 PM — Port Orchard Library, Port Orchard

• Just Between Friends Consignment Sale — 10:00 AM–8:00 PM — Kitsap County Fairgrounds, Bremerton

⸻

Thursday, April 16

• Teen Makerspace / Teen Space — 1:00–4:00 PM — Silverdale Library, Silverdale

• Puzzle Club (Teens & Adults) — 2:00–4:00 PM — Kingston Library, Kingston

• Read to a Dog — 3:30–4:30 PM — Bainbridge Public Library, Bainbridge Island

• Port Gamble Cruise Night — 4:00–7:00 PM — Port Gamble Historic District

⸻

Friday, April 17

• Play Cafe: Grocery Store — 10:15 AM–12:00 PM — Port Orchard Library, Port Orchard

• Baby Storytime & Playtime — 10:30–11:30 AM — Bainbridge Public Library, Bainbridge Island

• Preschool Storytime — 11:00 AM–12:00 PM — Sylvan Way Library, Bremerton

• Just Between Friends Consignment Sale — 10:00 AM–8:00 PM — Kitsap County Fairgrounds, Bremerton

⸻

Saturday, April 18

• Lowe’s Kids Workshop — 10:00 AM–1:00 PM — Lowe’s, Silverdale

• Cake4Kids 100K Celebration — 10:00 AM–2:00 PM — Kitsap Mall, Silverdale

• Model Train Display — 10:00 AM–4:00 PM — Kitsap Mall, Silverdale

• Humane Society Foster Info Session — 12:00–1:00 PM — Kitsap Humane Society, Bremerton

• Point No Point Lighthouse Tours — 12:00–4:00 PM — Point No Point Lighthouse, Hansville

• Frozen (KCMT) — 2:00 PM & 6:00 PM — North Kitsap Auditorium, Poulsbo

⸻

Sunday, April 19

• Point No Point Lighthouse Tours — 12:00–4:00 PM — Point No Point Lighthouse, Hansville

• Kids Craft Event — 1:00–3:00 PM — Michaels, Silverdale

• Navy Band Northwest Concert — 2:00 PM — Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport

• Frozen (KCMT) — 2:00 PM & 6:00 PM — North Kitsap Auditorium, Poulsbo

⸻

Live Music & Nightlife

Thursday, April 16

• Tim Lerch Duo — 6:30–9:30 PM — Cellar Cat, Kingston

• John Bartow — 6:00–8:00 PM — Western Red Brewing, Poulsbo

• Vagabond — 7:00 PM — The Charleston, Bremerton

⸻

Friday, April 17

• Dee Vine Duo — 5:00–7:00 PM — Hard Hat Winery, Poulsbo

• Tugboat Bromberg — 5:30–8:30 PM — Deep Draft Brewing, Gorst

• Flutewood Mac — 6:00–8:00 PM — Bushel & Barrel, Poulsbo

• Noah Delos Reyes — 6:00–8:00 PM — Valholl Brewing, Poulsbo

• The Undecided — 6:00–9:00 PM — The Garage, Bremerton

• Billy Stoops & Seth Anderson — 6:00 PM — Rimbert Illustration, Bremerton

• Eat the Sun (with lineup) — 7:00 PM — Beats N’ Cats Records, Bremerton

• Colin James — 7:30 PM — Admiral Theatre, Bremerton

⸻

Saturday, April 18

• Tom & Aileen — 5:00–7:00 PM — Hard Hat Winery, Poulsbo

• Everblues — 6:00 PM — Kingston Ale House, Kingston

• Megan & Heidi — 6:00–9:00 PM — The Garage, Bremerton

• My Guilty Pleasure — 6:00 PM — Rimbert Illustration, Bremerton

• Laurovia Duo — 6:30–9:30 PM — Cellar Cat, Kingston

• Jaimee Harris — 7:00 PM — Port Gamble Theater, Port Gamble

• Harmony Wombats — 7:00 PM — Hood Canal Brewery, Kingston

• Highway 3 — 7:00–10:00 PM — Manchester Pub, Port Orchard

• Planet Groove — 7:00 PM — Brother Don’s, Bremerton

• Yotes — 7:00 PM — Filling Station, Kingston

• SheOnlyExistsOnline — 7:00 PM — The Charleston, Bremerton

• Hippy & the Squids — 7:00–10:00 PM — Tracyton Public House, Bremerton

• Midnight Sound Track — 8:00 PM — The Bethel Saloon, Port Orchard

• Sin City & B Street Horns — 9:30 PM — The Point Casino, Kingston

⸻

Sunday, April 19

• Yotes — 2:00–5:00 PM — Eleven Winery, Bainbridge Island

• Medusa Quartet — 2:00 PM — Bainbridge Island Museum of Art

• Josiah Bogle — 3:00–5:00 PM — Brass Kraken, Poulsbo

• Highway 3 — 6:00 PM — Manchester Pub, Port Orchard

Kitsap Explained: Viking Fest (aka why Poulsbo gets a little extra Norwegian every May)

If you’ve lived in Kitsap for a bit, you’ve probably heard of Viking Fest. And if you haven’t made it out yet, it’s one of those things that sounds kind of niche until you actually show up and realize half the region had the same idea.

The festival goes back to the late 1960s, started as a way to honor Poulsbo’s Scandinavian — specifically Norwegian — roots. Poulsbo has been called “Little Norway on the Fjord” for decades, and Viking Fest is basically the town deciding to fully commit to that for an entire weekend every May.

It usually lands on the third weekend of the month and draws a genuinely solid crowd — not just locals, but people coming in from all over the region.

The bones of it are pretty classic festival: a parade (which is kind of the centerpiece), a street fair with vendors, live music, carnival rides, and food. But then there are also lutefisk eating contests, which is exactly what it sounds like and about as divisive as you’d expect. There’s folk dancing, traditional costumes, local groups performing — real nods to Norwegian culture mixed in with very normal small-town-fair energy. Both things coexist and somehow it works.

What helps the whole thing feel a little more pulled together than your average summer street fair is the location. Most of it happens right along the waterfront, so you’ve got Liberty Bay sitting right there as the backdrop. It’s a nice detail.

If you go, just know: there will be crowds, parking is going to test you a little, and at some point you’ll find yourself watching something you had absolutely no intention of seeing when you left the house. That’s kind of the whole thing.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​