Checkout the Penn Cove MusselFest, Coupeville, Washington’s March tradition. It is the “bold, briny and blue,” event where the world famous mussels will once again be the centerpiece of two days of festivities, March 12 and 13. Enjoy chowder tasting and mussel eating competitions, farm tours and activities for all ages featuring locally-flavored fun.
Visitors to the festival, a tradition now in its 30th year, should start at the MusselFest Headquarters, located at the Coupeville Recreation Hall in the heart of historic downtown Coupeville. Here they can purchase tickets to the festival favorite Mussel Chowder Tasting Competition, which pits local restaurants against each other for the coveted Mussel Chowder prize. The competition sells out quickly, so organizers recommend that visitors buy their tickets before 12:00pm.
MusselFest Headquarters is also the center for mussel cooking demonstrations, the daily mussel eating competition, and tickets for the mussel farm boat tour. This year, visitors will cruise to the Penn Cove Shellfish mussel farm aboard the Glacier Spirit. Families visiting Coupeville will enjoy singing along with children’s music recording artist Eric Ode and enjoying creative activities the kids will love. The merchants of Coupeville’s historic waterfront downtown will offer extended hours for art walk shopping.
No festival experience is complete without a stop by the Musselfest beer and wine gardens. The Waterfront Wine & Beer Garden provides locally crafted brews with nearby family outdoor dining. On Saturday, the Penn Cove Shellfish Mussels, Wine & Beer Garden will entertain the crowds with live music, as well as fresh mussels and great beverages. The weekend also includes the 6th annual “Mussels in the Kettles” Mountain Bike Poker Ride and the Spring Art Tour, featuring artists at studios from Greenbank to Oak Harbor.
Explore the complexity of Coupeville’s historic waterfront while sampling the blue fruits of the sea we are famous for. For more information, visit or call the Coupeville Chamber of Commerce at (360) 678-5434.
