Forks Washington on the Olympic Peninsula

It's a BIG holiday weekend here in Forks and LaPush! It starts Friday, with the Cherish Our Children fundraiser in LaPush.  That begins at 5:00 PM on Friday at the Akalat Center.  This fun event features a seafood dinner, live and silent auctions, photos with Santa, and local artisans selling their creations.  All proceeds raised go to West End children.  But that's not all!

The Forks Chamber of Commerce's Annual "Wine and Cheese" Fundraiser is happening this Saturday, November 14, 2009, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.  Funds generated from the event are used to offset the costs of operating our Visitor Information Center and this website.  In addition to delicious wine and cheese tastings, there will be a silent auction and "Best of the Year" awards.  This year's theme is, yup, "A 3-Hour Tour," so we're packing shades, tanning butter, etc.  Everyone is invited--head on down to the Downtown Forks Bank of America building (481 S. Forks Avenue) this Saturday to join in the fun!

Opening day at the 2010 Olympic Games and the following Paralympic Games in Vancouver, BC, Canada, (226 mi/364 km from Forks) is just over 100 days away! And you can feel the excitement building with the Olympic Flame arriving from Greece and the Olympic Torch Relay beginning in Victoria this Friday morning. The Victoria Times Colonist has some good viewing tips if you’re heading up there for the festivities this weekend.

Things are shaping up nicely for Stephenie Meyer Day Weekend 2009 in Forks and LaPush, which is just over 24 hours away!! There are a couple of things we failed to mention in our last post, so here are some additional tidbits of information. [ALSO, for a Friday, September 11, 2009, update, check out this article from the Peninsula Daily News.]

One exciting addition to the festivities is the appearance of Tinsel Korey, the talented actress playing Emily Young in New Moon. She will be appearing at various locations, including the bonfire with native storytelling taking place in LaPush, on First Beach, Saturday evening. Photo-ops and autographs will be available as part of the event. More information can be found in this article by Paige Dickerson from today’s Peninsula Daily News.

We are pleased to announce the schedule for Stephenie Meyer Day 2009, taking place right here in Forks on Bella’s Birthday weekend, September 12th and 13th. There are all kinds of events planned of interest to Twilight fans, including a bonfire with authentic Quileute storytelling on First Beach in LaPush, a showing of the new documentary Twilight in Forks - The Saga of the Real Town, and several musical events, including Mitch Hansen Band and Twilight Music Girls. And these fun events and activities are all in addition to the “usual stuff,” like touring Forks and LaPush, sneaking around in dark forests taking pictures and shopping at the many great retail outlets available. See you there!

The Makah Nation invites you on “A Journey to Wellness” at the 86th Annual Makah Days this weekend, August 28th, 29th and 30th, 2009, in Neah Bay. There is an impressive slate of events scheduled, including fireworks on Friday night, traditional salmon bakes at noon on Saturday and Sunday and–of course–the Grand Parade kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.

It’s shaping up to be a beautiful weekend here in the West End. Accuweather currently forecasts the weather as “mostly sunny and delightful.” Come join the fun and help celebrate the Makahs’ rich heritage. See you there!

The 2nd Annual Rainforest Run, a motorcycle rally and music festival based right here in sunny Forks, WA, is happening this weekend, August 14, 15 and 16, 2009! This is our area’s premier motorcycle and music festival, with fun for everyone. This year’s event takes place at the Highway 110 Business Park, a historic local mill recently renovated into a multi-faceted business and community hub. It’s about a mile north of town, just off of Higway 101, right there at LaPush Road. Other changes for this year include an expanded musical line-up, with hot bands playing all weekend long! Get all of the details, including registration information, at the event web site. Whether you and your friends or family roll in on Harleys, Vespas, or even in a mini-van, you’re going to enjoy being part of the Rainforest Run!

This weekend is Quileute Days in LaPush! The event runs from this Friday, July 17th, through Sunday, July 19th. Saturday’s activities include canoe races at 11:00 am, the parade and salmon bake at Noon and Cultural Arts Performances, featuring Wolf Dancers and actor Solomon Trimble, at the Akalat Center, from 2-4 pm. The appearance of Solomon Trimble, the actor who played Sam Uley in the first Twilight movie, should be of special interest to Twilight fans. According to the Quileute Nation’s web site, the Wolf Dance, with special appearance by Solomon Trimble, is $25 admission, $10 for a photo opportunity and $5 for an autograph. The entire weekend promises to be a fun time for all!

Independence Day is right around the corner, which, of course, means it’s time for the 2009 Forks Old Fashioned 4th of July celebration! This year’s theme is Flags of Our Heroes. The festivities begin Friday, July 3rd, and conclude Sunday, July 5th. This is a real, small-town-America event. Don’t miss it!

Rainfest–Forks’ annual celebration of our favorite local weather phenomena–is happening this year April 3-5th. Even though we love our rain, let’s face it, one of the best ways to enjoy it is from inside a nice, dry house, preferably sitting near a warm fire!
Maybe that’s one of the reasons quilting is such a popular activity here in the West End. It could also be why the Piecemakers Quilt Club’s Fabric of the Forest Quilt Show is always such a big draw at Rainfest.

This year’s Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction is right around the corner–March 21st-22nd. For those unfamiliar with the auction, it’s really quite amazing–this tiny community pulls together every year to raise sufficient funds to provide a scholarship for every graduate of Forks High School or Quileute Tribal School who applies for one!! And this has been going on now for 45 years, with over a million dollars awarded in scholarships so far, beginning in 1964 with Forks favorite dentist (and Chamber board member/community leader), Dr. Bob Henry, receiving the very first award.

Here’s early notice–Stephenie Meyer Day 2009 is happening September 12-13, 2009, in Forks, WA!! While this year’s event is still in the organizational stages, based on the overwhelming response last year, we want everyone (including folks in, um, Arizona . . . ) to have a chance to make plans to be here on Bella’s Birthday to celebrate with us. Now is the time to make lodging reservations in Forks or LaPush for this weekend–the entire area was booked solid last year. Many fans arrived before the weekend and/or stayed a day or two afterward, to have more time to fully enjoy everything the area has to offer.

It’s time for the Forks Chamber of Commerce’s annual wine & cheese fundraising event–our only fundraiser! This year’s theme is Tailights, Twilight & Treasures, tying in some of the big attractions in Forks this past year. The event, with an awards ceremony, both live and silent auctions, plus refreshments, beer/wine/sodas, etc., and live music, takes place Saturday, November 8th at 7:00 pm at the Elks Lodge in Forks. Admission is a mere $10 per person. All funds raised go to support Chamber programs, such as operating this web site and keeping our Visitor Information Center staffed and open.

One of Forks’ signature events, the Annual Harvest Dinner, is happening this Friday, October 10th, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event takes place at the Congregational Church of Forks, which is located at 280 South Spartan Avenue, across from the High School.

Don’t miss the lively finale to 2008 Heritage Week, the Annual Fish & Brew Contest, Saturday, October 4th from 1-4 pm. It’s at the the old Rosmond Mill this year, just off of Highway 101 at LaPush Road, basically “behind” the Smokehouse Restaurant.

This really is your “last chance” to get in on $4300 in prizes at the Last Chance Salmon Derby happening in LaPush beginning Saturday, September 27, 2008, at, of course, the crack of dawn. This event, co-sponsored by the Quileute Nation, the City of Forks and us, the Forks Chamber of Commerce, promises to be another great fishing opportunity and fun time for everyone.

Come celebrate Bella’s Birthday with us at Stephenie Meyer Day 2008 on September 13th!! Join Twilighters from all over the world as they descend upon Forks for this extravaganza–many arriving Thursday or Friday and staying all weekend to take in everything the area has to offer.

It's Makah Days in Neah Bay this weekend! The Makah Nation invites everyone to join in their 84th Annual Makah Days Celebration this weekend, August, 22-24th. The event begins at noon Friday, August 22nd and continues throughout the weekend.