THURSDAY, JULY 1

• 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. –  Turn in entries for Arts, Crafts & Photo Show at Department of Natural Resource Conference Center, 411Tillicum Lane, sponsored by Don’t Tell Me What To Do Promotions. For information call Martha Paul 374-9105.

FRIDAY, JULY 2

Arts, Crafts & Photo Show Judging, Department of Natural Resource Conference Center, 411 Tillicum Lane, sponsored by Don’t Tell Me What To Do Promotions.
Window Decorations Viewing at Downtown participating businesses, sponsored by Forks Old Fashioned 4^th of July Committee.
7:00 - 11:00 p.m. - Moonlight Madness in downtown Forks, sponsored by West End Business & Professional Association.

SATURDAY, JULY 3

8:30 a.m. - Horseshoe Tournament Sign-Ups at Tillicum Park (Please sign up early)

9:00 a.m. - Horseshoe Tournament, Tillicum Park
Noon - 2:00 p.m. - Kiddies Play Day at Tillicum Park, Sponsored by the Forks Lions Club
Noon - 4:00 p.m. – Arts, Crafts & Photo Show, Department of Natural Resource Conference Center.
3:00 p.m. – Sack’s Bean Bag Toss, $10 Entry Fee, ages 16 yrs & up, for details call Mike Hirsch 360-870-1100. Tillicum Park.
4:00 p.m. - Frog Jump, Tillicum Park
6:00 p.m. - Cribbage Tournament, V.F.W. Hall, 110 S. Spartan Ave.
Window Decorations Viewing Downtown Forks.

SUNDAY, JULY 4th INDEPENDENCE DAY

Forks Old Fashioned 4^th of July “Fun Run” – Call 327-3849 for route & time
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - Check in for Grand Parade, Forks Outfitters Parking Lot
7:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Elks Breakfast, Forks Elks Lodge, 941 Merchant Road
10:15 a.m. - Final Entries, Grand Parade
10:30 a.m. - Parade Judging, Forks Outfitters Parking Lot
Window Decorations Viewing, Downtown Forks.
10:30 a.m. – Check in, Kiddies Parade, Bank of America Parking Lot, Sponsored by the Forks Emblem Club
11:45 a.m. - Kiddies Parade, Bank of America Parking Lot.
12:00 Noon – Forks Old Fashioned 4^th of July Grand Parade.
Noon - 4:00 p.m. – Arts, Crafts & Photo Show, Department of Natural Resource Conference Center
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Salmon Bake, Tillicum Park, sponsored by the Forks Lions Club
3:00 p.m. - Demolition Derby, Tillicum Park Arena, gates open at 2:00 p.m. Tickets - $8, Strollers must have ticket, Ages 2 yrs. And under FREE. (No Dogs, No Coolers).
Dusk - Forks Old Fashioned 4^th of July Fireworks Display, Tillicum Park

• Demolition Derby tickets sold at the West End Youth League Firecracker Stand located downtown Forks at the corner of Main Street & Bogachiel Way.
• Buy a 4^th of July Button for $1 at participating downtown merchants.  All proceeds support the 4^th of July fire works display.
• Support our non-profits and eat at the Park!

• Thank a Veteran, buy them a lunch!  For info call Christi 374-3141 or 374-2244

Contact Information: Forks Old Fashioned 4^th of July Committee President Mark Soderlind, 360-374-9065, 360-640-4298 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or mail to: The Forks Old Fashioned 4^th of July Committee, PO Box 881, Forks, WA 98331

 

 

The Fletcher -Wittenborn VFW Post 9106 will hold their annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday May 31, at 10 am at the VFW Hall on Spartan Avenue.  The public is welcome.

 

Quileute Tribal School's Whale Welcoming Ceremony 2010 happens Thursday, April 15th at 2:00 pm. in LaPush.  The whales have returned on their annual migratory visit, but it's not really official until they receive a proper welcome.  This Quileute event has historical and spiritual significance to tribal members, so if you're a visitor planning to attend, you might want to review the tribe's rules of etiquette. And don't forget your camera!

Forks and the West End welcome Mariachi Huenachi! These talented young musicians have performed at venues throughout the Pacific Northwest and are known as one of the best high school mariachi in the area.  The group, based out of Wenatchee High School, is directed by Mr. Rivera and Mr. Davis.  We actually saw some of the students taking advantage of the "photo ops" around Forks earlier today, so they seem to be having a good time here in the Twilight Zone.  See you at the performance Saturday morning, April 10th, at 10:00 am at the FHS cafeteria. (PS--one of your bloggers is an Eastmont High grad . . . go Panthers!)

This year's Washington Coast Cleanup is happening April 17, 2010.  It's a chance to roll up your sleeves and try a type of "beach-combing" that frees our beaches of tons of marine debris.  Take our word for it--you'll never think about those disposable plastic water bottles the same way again after spending some time hauling garbage bags full of 'em off the beach!  Last year, nearly 3000 volunteers removed over 64 tons of debris from the coast during the cleanup.  Please consider participating this year--this is the perfect way to do something good for the environment, while spending the day at the beach.  It's especially rewarding seeing young people volunteering and hearing them asking questions about issues such as why we have, literally, tons of marine debris on our ocean beaches and how that affects marine organisms and wilderness ecosystems.  Somehow environmental issues seem a little more "real" when you're hauling a 5-foot-long chunk of Styrofoam off of a pristine wilderness beach . . . .

Things are really heating up here in Forks with the 2010 Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction starting today and continuing tomorrow.  It's all happening at the Bank of America building in Forks--don't miss the action!

The positive and generous spirit of this event is demonstrated by folks like Lori Norvell-Troutman of Plano, Texas.  Although she has no direct connection to Forks, she's pitching in anyway--donating three valuable autographed baseballs, signed by Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose and Yogi Berra.  Wow! Thanks Lori!!

Check out Paige Dickerson's article in the Peninsula Daily News highlighting this donation and providing further information about the auction.

And if you just can't wait to start finding things to bid on, you should see O.C.C.'s contributions to this year's auction from the craftsmen at their Toy Shop.  Or click here to (hopefully . . .) view auction items online as they come up for bid.

UPDATE: $69,000 RAISED THIS YEAR--THANKS!!

Here’s early notice–Stephenie Meyer Day 2010 is slated for September 11-12, 2010, in Forks, WA!!

While this year’s event is still in the organizational stages, based on the overwhelming response at past events, we want to make sure everyone has ample opportunity to be here on Bella’s Birthday this year 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 our area has to offer.  Whether you've been to every single Stephenie Meyer Day so far or just want to check out something new, everyone is welcome and the event is always a blast.  See you there!

A large section (20 blocks) of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in Forks from March 1-6, 2010.  The display is located at the Forks High School Auxiliary Gym, 261 South Spartan Avenue.  The goal of the AIDS Quilt project is to provide a creative means for remembrance and healing, to effectively illustrate the enormity of the AIDS pandemic, to increase awareness of HIV and AIDS throughout the general public, to assist others in providing education on the prevention of HIV infection, and to raise funds for community-based AIDS Service Organizations (ASO's).  Volunteers are needed to help with the quilt display--please contact the Forks Chamber of Commerce today at 360-374-2531 (or toll-free at 1-800-443-6757) or by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to get further information about how you can participate.

Have you ever heard of a community that rallies each year to provide a scholarship for every graduating senior who applies for one?

It happens right here in Forks and LaPush with the Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction--and over a million dollars have been raised so far!  The idea is to help jump-start students' careers with some cash to offset college or vocational/technical school expenses.  This year's event happens March 20-21 (coinciding with the New Moon DVD release festivities that weekend), so make plans to be there!  Everyone is welcome at this fun event.

March 11, 2010, Update - Oh my! The O.C.C. Toy Shop crew has been busy this year!  Check out their generous contributions to this year's auction and get your "favorites" list going before your chance to bid begins March 20th.

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!