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CLAM FEST 2016 Saturday and Sunday, April 9 and 10 longbeachrazorclamfestival.com Photo by Lynette Rae McAdams Submitted photo by Alanna Shea Gorgeous weather and an amazing crowd made the 2015 edition of the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival one of the best ever. Above, entertainers included the North Coast Blues Band with the Cosmic Bombshells dancing on stage. Chef Michael Lalewicz grips the First Place trophy won by The Depot Restaurant at the 2015 Long Beach Razor Clam Festival’s Clam Chowder Taste-off. Standing with him are Depot co-owner Nancy Gorche and festival organizers Randy Dennis and Robyn Unruh, marketing director for the Long Beach Visitors Bureau. Photo by Damian Mulinix Visitors to the 2014 Long Beach Clam Festival jockey to get a taste of one of the clam fritter recipes prepraed by Ilwaco High culiniary students. Photo by Damian Mulinix Children explore the downtown park that features the original giant frying pan. Josh Oakland and Rachel Betron, graduate students from Seattle, pose on their spring break with a giant wooden sculpture of a Pacific razor clam in downtown Long Beach, Washington. The clam, located at Fifth Street South and Pacific Avenue, “spits” at the top of every hour, or on command, for 25 cents. MOLLUSK MADNESS T FOOD, HISTORY AND FUN COMBINE AT THE ANNUAL RAZOR CLAM FESTIVAL IN LONG BEACH, WASHINGTON Story by LYNETTE RAE McADAMS Those were the good old days: One giant frying pan, two Bathing Clam Beauties, a weekend’s worth of good digging, and enough clam chowder to feed the hungry masses. Though that’s a scene from more than 75 years ago, this weekend the past will happily repeat, as locals and visitors gather once more at the annual Razor Clam Festival — the oldest, and also, newest, event on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula. ³, wasn’t aware of the history at ¿rst,´ admits Randy 'en- nis, festival organizer and owner of the 'ennis Company, a local chain of hardware and general stores with ¿ve locations on the coast. As a member of the Long Beach Merchants Association, the festival’s primary sponsor, 'ennis says he was just trying, like everyone else, to think of a way to pro- mote business during tourism’s ³shoulder season´ — those all-too-slow months leading up to summer. “But as soon as I mentioned the idea,´ he says, “people started ¿lling me in.´ Originating in 1940, the Razor Clam Festival helped put the peninsula on the map, attracting visitors to the wind- swept shores of Long Beach with the tasty promise of the World’s Largest Clam Fritter, cooked publicly in the World’s Largest Frying Pan, alongside vats of fresh chowder. More than 200 pounds of Washington’s beloved bivalve graced 12 | April 7, 2016 | coastweekend.com that 8-foot-wide pan, and hordes of people gathered to watch as a team of chefs maneuvered the fritter with garden hoes and two-foot-wide spatulas. The following year saw an even bigger pan, and, with it, bigger crowds. In 1948, hoping to broaden the festival’s appeal even fur- ther, the enormous pan went on a Northwest tour, accom- panied by the supremely popular Bathing Clam Beauties (swim suit models clad in razor clam bikinis), and a caravan of 30 cars. Making stops throughout Washington, Idaho and Oregon, the entourage garnered plenty of attention — some would even say, too much. Exploitation of the beaches, along with over-harvesting, had caused clam numbers to plummet; the largest Razor Clam Festival, it turned out, would also be the last. That is, of course, until 2013, when Randy 'ennis thought of it all over again. A local boy through and through, 'ennis grew up har- vesting razor clams, even digging commercially for a time in his youth. Today, he credits awareness and regulation at a state level for the abundance of clams that have returned to local beaches. “The 'epartment of Fish and Wildlife has done an in- credible job helping ensure this resource remains for us and future generations. 'ecades ago, our beaches were in jeop- ardy, and we nearly put ourselves out of business, but I think we learned from that,´ he says. “Reinstating the festival feels like a celebration.´ Now in its fourth year (or its 13th, depending on how you count them), the festival has regained the momentum of its nascent years, building on an original repertoire of favorites. Kicking things off, quite appropriately, is a morning clam ‘SOME OF MY BEST MEMORIES ARE WRAPPED UP IN CLAM DIGGING, AND THAT’S TRUE FOR A LOT OF FOLKS AROUND HERE. I THINK IT’S EXCITING TO SHARE THAT WITH VISITORS — SOMETHING THAT’S SO UNIQUELY LONG BEACH, SO COMPLETELY US.’ dig, with low tide arriving at 8:52 a.m. on Saturday, April 9. 'on’t know a shovel from a clam gun" No worries. -oin the pros for a free lesson on the beach, followed by a cleaning demonstration. (Participants must pre-register online and ar- rive with their own gear and shell¿sh license.) Once your clams are well in hand, head downtown to the 'ennis Company, where you can enter to win cash prizes for the biggest clam, smallest clam, and best looking limit, or take a guess at how many clam shells are in the display tank. Free giveaways and expert advice will also be available from a multitude of manufacturers, just in case it’s time to upgrade your clam gear. Maybe you’re not quite the sporting type, but you’re more apt to be in it for the eating. No shame in that, just fol- low your nose to the Amateur Chowder Competition, where 13 pre-selected contestants will compete for cash and (obvi- ously) local stardom, as their homemade chowders are put to the test by four renowned chefs from Seattle’s Tom 'ouglas restaurants. Stick around, though, because that’s just a warm up to the main event, which is sure to be the annual Clam Chowder Taste-off. “Last year was amazing,´ says 'ennis, who advises an early arrival to the afternoon event. “People were wrapped around the block and down the street waiting to get in.´ That of course, seems completely reasonable. After all, 10 local restaurants are turning out for the annual people’s choice competition, where participants vie for the coveted “Best Clam Chowder´ trophy (not to mention absolute brag- ging rights), and space is limited. An entry fee of $10 buys a tasting-size portion from each restaurant, a beverage, a ballot, a 2016 tide book, Clam Festival coupons, and vintage Clam Festival postcards. If you still haven’t had your ¿ll, there’s always that giant frying pan, remember" Thankfully, a shiny, newer replica, christened at the 2014 festival, will be sizzling once again as eight local celebrities (including Sen. 'ean Takko and Rep. Brian Blake, both members of the Washington State Legisla- ture) cook up some of the best fritters since the 1940s. Or so they say. The festival’s master chefs will again be the judge, awarding one winner with $250 to donate to the local non- pro¿t organization of their choice. Onlookers get free sam- ples (while supplies last), and an adjacent beer garden, hosted by North -etty Brewing, will offer pours that lean (hopefully) toward the less clammy. Balancing tradition with a touch of something new, this year’s docket includes a visit from the Oregon Mermaids, who’ll be in full ¿shy regalia at the downtown train depot, where kids can hear interactive stories about the ocean hab- itat, learn songs, enjoy face painting, and even try on a mer- maid tail themselves. Clam digging lessons: Bolstad Pavilion, 6:45 a.m. Saturday; 7:30 a.m. Sunday (pre-register online) Clam cleaning demos: Bolstad Pavilion, 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday Clam contests and gear vendors Dennis Company, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday Saturday Market Preview: Port of Ilwaco, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Amateur chowder competition: Long Beach Elks Lodge, 11 a.m. to noon Saturday (registration is closed) Oregon Mermaids: Long Beach train depot, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Clam chowder taste-off: Long Beach Elks Lodge, 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday ($10 entry fee) Clam fritter cook-off: Veterans Memorial Park, 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday Beer, BBQ, and live music: Veterans Memorial Park, 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday Not to be upstaged, the Bathing Clam Beauties will still abound, along with 'ennis 'uck, the W'FW Razor Clam, and the Beard’s Hollow Pirates, who’ll all be strutting their stuff throughout downtown, dancing to live music and gener- ally hamming it up (clamming it up") for photo ops. “I think the appeal of the festival is simple,´ says 'ennis. “This is about good old-fashioned outdoor family fun. Some of my best memories are wrapped up in clam digging, and that’s true for a lot of folks around here. I think it’s exciting to share that with visitors — something that’s so uniquely Long Beach, so completely us. I think once people experience that, they’re always going to come back.´ 8:52 a.m. Saturday (-1.1) So far, he’s exactly right. “The festival has been really 9:41 a.m. Sunday (-1.0) popular and well-received,´ says (Best digging is usually 1 to Andi 'ay, executive director of 2 hours before low tide) the Long Beach Peninsula Visi- tor’s Bureau. “It’s authentically Northwest, and that’s very attractive, but also, it celebrates something so special — the act of gathering food and pre- Submitted photo paring it together — that’s very rare these days,´ she says, The Long Beach Razor Clam Festival started in 1940, attracting visitors with the tasty promise of the World’s Largest Clam Fritter, adding (because she clearly couldn’t help herself), “people cooked publicly in the World’s Largest Frying Pan. really seem to dig it.´ WEEKEND LOW TIDES April 7, 2016 | coastweekend.com | 13
