Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 27, 2017)
16 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Continued from Page 4 Several years ago, McCray became acquainted with Astoria Crabfest’s popularity head-on. She and her husband were heading out of Astoria, and a tidal wave of traffi c was pour- ing into town for the festival. “We were literally passing people coming into Astoria — car after car after car!” she remembered. “We looked at each other and said, ‘What are we doing? Let’s try it!’” The next year they sold their wares in their own home- town. “It’s been really great, and it gets better every year,” McCray said. “It’s fun to see people I know, and there are people I see only once a year at the festival.” ‘It’s the best’ McCray and her husband have visited other wine festi- vals and, compared to the As- toria Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival, found them lacking. “Some of them are so crowded and rowdy,” she said. “Ours is really different. Families come early in the day because there is so much good food.” The food, in fact, deserves its own paragraph. Naturally, crab and oysters are on tap. There is also pasta, tamales, jerky, German sausage, garlic products, farm vegetables, ice cream, fudge and other candies, nuts, jellies, teas, oils and vinegars, spices, honey products, Hawaiian delights and coffee. “I’m proud of Astoria,” McCray said. “I think we do things right here; we do things well. Our festival is really a step above.” For his part, Nisbett said he not only looks forward to the event, he plans for it all year long. “I’ll tell you: It’s the best two days of my life every year. I love it,” he said. “I’m not a drinker, but I get to meet all my fans and sell art, and I just love it. It’s the best.” S I E LIF Byran Fitzgerald, left, and Jessy Ferguson, right, pose for photos with a giant infl at- able crab at the 2016 Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival. JOSHUA BESSEX THE DAILY ASTORIAN experience THE ASTORIA COLUMN 7 1 0 2 , 5 - 1 t s Augu CLATSOP COUNTY FAIR & EXPO 92937 WALLUSKI LOOP, ASTORIA WWW.CLATSOPFAIRGROUNDS.COM 503-325-4600 B REATH - TAKING V IEW H ISTORY OF THE W EST G IFT S HOP WWW.ASTORIACOLUMN.ORG 1 Coxcomb Drive Astoria, OR 97103 May-September: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm October-April: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm #clatsopcofair (Column closes at dusk)
