Lake Sylvia festival expanding in 10th year

The Lake Sylvia Fall Festival is growing in its 10th year.

It will kick off at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, with the pancake breakfast and more vendors this year, including a blacksmith and a jeweler who works with salmon skin.

“We have over 30 vendors,” Trina Young, the chairperson of the artists market, said. “I’m trying to make room for as many as possible. We have a lot of really cool stuff.”

Many past popular vendors will be on hand as will new ones.

“We’ll have quite a few different types of arts and crafts. We pride ourselves as being a handmade only show, so there will be no direct sales or imports” Young said. Expect the artists to be the one making the sale.

Most of the food vendors are returning this year and there will be a taco truck on site.

The 5-kilometer, 10K and half-marathon races begin at 8:30. If a casual float on the lake is more your speed, you can bring your own kayak or rent one at the lake for the kayaking tour, which begins at 2 p.m.

“We’ll have quite a few educational booths,” Young added, saying the Grays Harbor Stream Team, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Twin Harbors Wildlife Center and the K-9 Reading Buddies of the North Shore would be on hand.

Gerald Schaefer, “Doc Shores,” will do a historical talk on the U.S. Spruce Production Division in World War I and how that related to the Northwest and the Grays Harbor area. Schaefer is a member of the Wild West History Association and the single action shooters society and has published four books of “cowboy poetry that describe historical factual events in rhyme.”

According to the Natonal Parks Service website, “the U.S. Army Signal Corps Aviation Sector took control of the logging industry in the Northwest and created the Spruce Production Division to manage it” to ensure Allied factories had a steady stream of lumber. The SPD also “installed recreation rooms, shower houses, and new sleeping quarters to help make the camps more livable for soldiers.”

While the almost $1 million all-season pavilion is not complete yet, you will be able to check out the progress of the construction. Will Foster, the Montesano-based architect of the pavilion, will answer questions on the project, which will include some cedars harvested from the area and used as pillars.

Throughout the day, there also will be live music performances.

More information is online at fosls.org or facebook.com/LakeSylviaStateParkFallFestival.

A free shuttle will run 8 a.m.-4 p.m. from Simpson Elementary School (519 West Simpson Ave. in Montesano). Most parking by the lake likely will be taken up by the fair activities.

There will be plenty of fun activities for kids, like sack races, at this year’s Lake Sylvia State Park Fall Festival, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, at the park. Photo courtesy of Helen Hepp.

Photos courtesy Linda Smith The Fall Festival will return to the shores of Lake Sylvia on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. Races at this year’s Fall Festival will include 5-kilometer, 10K and half-maraton lengths

Races at this year’s Fall Festival will include 5-kilometer, 10K and half-maraton lengths Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, at Lake Sylvia. (Photo courtesy Linda Smith)