LONG BEACH, Wash. – April 30, 2013 – Canine owners and dog-lovers at large are invited to join the fun on June 28 and 29 at the Long Beach Peninsula’s Doggie Olympic Games. Providing the perfect recipe for a good time – playful puppies, a sandy beach and many laughs – the Games will be held at the Bolstad beach approach in Long Beach.

“Dogs and people just love this show!” said Mollie Christianson, event coordinator. “Doggie Olympic Games gives all talented, friendly dogs and their adept handlers the chance to show off a range of talents in playful, often humorous, competitions.”

The wide variety of competitions promise to both amuse and challenge the four-legged participants of any size, shape or breed and their handlers. Spectators are welcome; laughs are guaranteed.

Saturday’s main events range from the Babe Ruth Obedience Baseball to the Who’s Your Daddy? mixed-breed competition, a Doggie Dash and the popular Frisbee Throw. Other competitions will include Dunking for (Hot) Dogs, I’ve Got Rhythm Musical Sit, the Peanut Butter Lick, the Luciano Pavarotti Commemorative Sing Off, and Fill A Fuller Brush. What, No Ducks? ball toss, Nadia Comaneci agility and Rip Van Winkle Sleep Off complete the competition line up.

In the spirit of the Doggie Olympic Games, an opening ceremony and lighting of the Olympic flame will herald the start of the games, and gold, silver and bronze medals in the shape of a paw print will be awarded to the winners of each competition.

Registered participants and those who would like to register are invited to pizza party on Friday, from 4 to 7PM, at The Breakers resort (Hwy. 103 at 26^th St., Long Beach). Pizza will be available for $2 per slice and soft drinks for 50 cents each. Special events for puppies, over four months old and still too young to participate in Saturday’s games, and also for senior dogs, over ten years old, will take place at the pizza party.

The competitions will run from 12:45 up until at 5PM, with same-day registration open for 11AM to 1PM. The event is free to spectators; however there is an entry fee of $10 per event or $40 for five or more events. For a registration form, please access http://doggieolympicgames.com. To ensure a spot in any competition, preregistration is strongly encouraged.

In addition to the canine competitions, there will be vendors of doggie goods, information booths, and a dog and companion photo opportunity. As always, downtown Long Beach offers great places to shop and grab a bit to eat, and other communities on the Peninsula – Seaview, Ilwaco, Ocean Park, Nahcotta and Oysterville – invite discovery.

With many dog-friendly establishments and wide-open spaces, the Long Beach Peninsula is a great destination for families and their dogs. Rich in tradition and raw beauty, this enchanting 28-mile long sandy cape is located in the southwestern most corner of Washington State and is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River and Willapa Bay. For destination information, please contact the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at 360.642.2400 or access www.funbeach.com.

LONG BEACH PENINSULA, Wash. – April 12, 2013 – A full weekend of star-spangled events is planned for the Long Beach Peninsula on May 4 and 5, with the traditional U.S. Coast Guard Blessing of the Fleet and the 63^rd annual Loyalty Day celebration of patriotism. Most activities are free, and the public is encouraged to join in.

“Snapshots of Loyalty Day weekend activities liken to scenes of small town American life depicted by Norman Rockwell in the mid 20^th century,” said Andi Day, executive director, Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau. “It’s a good weekend to participate in honored traditions and simple, hometown fun.”

The highlight for Saturday, May 4, is the annual Blessing of the Fleet. The Blessing of the Fleet is a traditional observance to bless boaters and all those who have lost their lives at sea. The ceremony involves a non-denominational blessing, a wreath drop from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, and the tossing of flowers by boat passengers. Sponsored by the Ilwaco Charter Association, free scenic boat rides (first come, first served) depart from the Ilwaco Boat Basin at 1PM for the memorial service.

Also at the Ilwaco Boat Basin on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard will display a 52-foot lifeboat from 10AM to 3PM, and the Ilwaco Saturday Market will kick off its summer season at the marina.

A lively and fun Kid’s Loyalty Day Parade will get into formation at 11AM on Saturday in Ilwaco. The parade will begin at noon; same-day sign up to enter is available and encouraged.

In addition, the Long Beach Elks Club will host an Oyster Feed from 1 to 4PM, on Saturday, at the Elks Lodge, Long Beach.

Sunday will start with a Cowboy Breakfast at 7 to 11AM the Peninsula Saddle Club, Long Beach, and continue with free fire truck rides for children at the Ilwaco Fire Hall from 10 to 11AM.

At 10AM, the public is invited to attend the dedication of Veterans Field and Flag Plaza (3^rd Street and Oregon Ave. N., Long Beach), welcome additions to the downtown. A project of the Loyalty Days Committee, Flag Plaza displays flags from each of the five branches of the military, a POW/MIA flag, and a 50-foot U.S. flag, arranged in a half moon around a 3,000-plus pound brass liberty bell. Adjacent Veterans Field is the site of many public events including the seasonal Columbia Pacific Farmers Market.

The weekend’s activities culminate with Sunday’s Loyalty Day Parade. Boasting over one hundred units including marching bands, drill teams, classic cars, clowns, horseback riding clubs, fraternal organizations, VFW posts, and the well-loved Newfoundland Dog Club, this hometown parade is themed “Liberty for All.”

Richard Schumann, portraying Patrick Henry, will be the Loyalty Day guest speaker at the parade; U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Scott McGrew the Reviewing Officer; and Jim Sayce, the emcee. Judging will take place starting at 10:30AM. The Loyalty Program will start at noon in downtown Long Beach. The parade will begin at 1PM. Trophies for parade participants will be awarded at 3:30PM at Veterans Field.

Long Beach claims the longest consecutively running Loyalty Day celebration in the nation. The annual display of patriotism started in 1950 and has been held each year since.

Located on in the southwestern most corner of Washington State, two hours from Portland and three hours from Seattle, the Long Beach Peninsula is a favorite destination for its 26-mile beach and superb seafood offerings. With its mix of sensational restaurants, ocean view lodging, unique museums and attractions, lighthouses, galleries, trails, birding spots, and, above all, its long, wide, windswept beach, the Long Beach Peninsula continues to be one of the Northwest’s most enjoyable and refreshing getaway destinations. For event and visitor information, please call the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at 800-451-2542 or access www.funbeach.com.

LONG BEACH PENINSULA, Wash. – March 29, 2013 – As the northward migration along the Pacific Flyway reaches its peak, springtime is prime time for bird watching on the Washington Coast, especially for shorebirds on the Long Beach Peninsula.

With several distinct ecosystems in a span of 28 miles, the Long Beach Peninsula includes Pacific Ocean seashore and marshland, lakes, inland waterways, wetlands, the Lower Columbia River Estuary and Willapa Bay. Hundreds of species of birds migrate through here in the spring. (Access http://funbeach.com/activities/birding/ to download a bird checklist.) The region includes several of Audubon Washington’s “Important Bird Areas” and is featured on the organization’s Great Washington State Birding Trail.

“Pacific County is a birder’s paradise,” says Andi Day, executive director, Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau. “Getting to the beach in the spring to watch the migration is especially exciting.”

For spring bird watching sites, nature and bird observer Suzy Whittey suggests Chinook County Park, Stringtown Road and the Ilwaco Boat Basin, along the Columbia River Estuary, as well as Cape Disappointment State Park.

The beach and bay are also good choices. Commonly seen on the beach are eagles, peregrine falcons, shorebirds, gulls and ravens.

“If birding the beach, bird the outgoing tide,” says Whittey. “During high tide the birds relax on the beach side of the peninsula.”

As for Willapa Bay, Whittey recommends birding a few hours before and up until high tide, when the birds are being pushed toward land by the tide. Good birding spots along the bay include the Nahcotta Boat Basin and the Leadbetter Unit of the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, as well as on the south side of the bay at the Refuge’s headquarters – with a public launch for those who like to bird by canoe or kayak. Among the numerous birds to watch are Western sandpipers, dunlins and short-billed dowitchers.

Further, the Shoalwater Birders, the Long Beach Peninsula birding club, offers a more extensive list of birding sites — http://shoalwaterbirders.com/birdingsites.pdf – as well as a seasonal birding list. The club also offers monthly bird-watching field trips.

Marking the season, the Willapa Hills Audubon Society has organized a Shorebird Fieldtrip for Thursday, April 25. The group will meet near Lynn Point on Willapa Bay in South Bend at 11AM. Early sign up is recommended. Visit http://willapahillsaudubon.org for details.

Shorebirds galore

According to the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, the lower Columbia River Estuary is particularly significant during spring migration with hundreds of shorebirds stopping to rest and feed on the estuary’s open mudflats.

Located within the estuary is Ilwaco’s Baker Bay. Stretching from the east side of Cape Disappointment along the water to the Astoria Megler Bridge, it and Willapa Bay are among the best areas in Washington to observe concentrations of shorebirds.

About Southwest Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula

With its mix of sensational restaurants, local seafood, ocean-view lodging, colorful festivals, unique museums and attractions, landmark lighthouses, fine art galleries, easily accessible trails, birding spots, state and national parks, and, above all, its long, wide, windswept beach, the Long Beach Peninsula continues to be one of the Northwest’s most enjoyable and refreshing coastal destinations. Located 2.5 hours from Portland and 3.5 from Seattle, the Peninsula is a longtime favorite for those seeking easily accessible outdoors, great food and affordable creature comforts. For visitor information, please call the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at 800.451.2542 or access www.funbeach.com.

“Fishing is a great way to build bonds and create fond memories,” shared Mike Cassinelli, Mayor, City of Ilwaco. “This derby does that, and it encourages kids to get outside, have fun and learn something new.”

During the derby, children ages 2 through 14 are invited to compete for the biggest rainbow trout caught in well-stocked Black Lake. Prizes, awarded in each of several age groups, will also be given for the highest aggregate weight of a participant’s catch.

Preregistration by April 22 guarantees a t-shirt. Onsite, event-day registration closes at 9:45AM, with the last weigh in at 10AM. Each registered participant will be offered free refreshments and a small gift. Online registration is available at http://www.ilwaco-wa.gov/forms/fishingderby.shtml.

Families attending the derby can join in the fun that same day at the Long Beach Clam Festival, two miles from Black Lake in downtown Long Beach.

Several other fishing derbies, open to young and old, take place on the Long Beach Peninsula throughout fishing season. Among them are the following:

• Surf Perch Derby, May 18, Long Beach;
• Ilwaco Charter Association Sturgeon Derby, Port of Ilwaco, June 1 through 30;
• Ilwaco Charter Association Salmon Derby, Port of Ilwaco, June 23 through Sept. 1;
• “Reelin’ in Hunger” OTC Ilwaco Tuna Classic, Port of Ilwaco, July 26 and 27.

Boasting the highest catch per unit of effort of any place on the West Coast, the ocean, bays, rivers and streams surrounding the Long Beach Peninsula have been long-time favorite spots for sports fishing enthusiasts.

“Fishing is big on the peninsula,” added Andi Day, Executive Director, Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau. “Ilwaco has been and continues to be one of the most sought out fishing destinations on the West Coast.”

With its mix of sensational restaurants, local seafood, ocean view lodging, unique museums and attractions, lighthouses, fine art galleries, meandering trails, birding spots, and, above all, its long, wide, windswept beach, the Long Beach Peninsula continues to be one of the Northwest’s most enjoyable and refreshing getaway destinations. For event and visitor information, please call the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at 360.642.2400 or access www.funbeach.com.

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LONG BEACH, Wash. – March 11, 2013 – Long Beach is bringing back the Razor Clam Festival, an event originating in the 1940s and successfully promoted by the touring of a giant frying pan throughout the region. The upcoming festival will be held April 27 and 28, in Long Beach, on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula. Randy Dennis, event organizer and owner of the Dennis Company, made the announcement.

“Razor clam digging is something that is always different, always fun,” shared Dennis. “We’re looking forward to celebrating and bringing broader attention to this much-loved Northwest tradition.”

The festival highlight is a Razor Clam Digging Competition, which takes place during an early morning clam tide on Saturday, April 27. For those that choose to show off their clams at the Dennis Company, prizes of a $100 Dennis Company gift card for the biggest clam dug, a stainless steel clam gun for the best looking limit, and a $50 Dennis Company gift card for guessing the correct number of clams will be awarded. Judging will be by representatives from Washington State Fish & Wildlife, who will bring the agency’s Clam Display.

Chefs representing eight or more Peninsula restaurants will participate in a Chowder Cook Off, on April 27, at the Long Beach Elk’s Lodge. The public is invited to stop in, purchase tastes and vote on their favorite clam chowder. The North Coast Blues band will entertain during the cook off, which takes place from 11AM to 2PM.

Over the weekend, chefs will also be featuring razor clam selections on restaurant menus and posting favorite recipes on the festival website –www.longbeachrazorclamfestival.com.

For newbies or those that want to polish their skills, free clam digging lessons will be offered at 7AM on April 27 and 28. Online registration is at www.longbeachrazorclamfestival.com.
For added entertainment, mermaids and pirates will circulate through downtown Long Beach to offer face painting, pose for photos and encourage smiles. As well, the Dennis Company mascot, a duck, will be in full clam digger regalia passing out free tide table booklets both in town and on the beach.

Clam guns, creatively decorated by local school students, will be on display at the Dennis Company store in Long Beach. Public voting is encouraged.

Event t-shirts, commemorative event posters and vintage postcards will be available for purchase throughout the weekend. And, numerous clam digging-related vendors will be at the Dennis Company store from 9AM to 2PM, April 27, with giveaways and drawings.

Digging for razor clams is a popular beach activity enjoyed by residents and visitors, alike. With its long and expansive beach, the Long Beach Peninsula is one of the favorite clamming destinations in the state.

“Razor clam digging is a unique, family, food gathering activity,” adds Andi Day, executive director, Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau. “Whether for subsistence or recreation, clam digging is a cherished part of our beach culture and heritage, something that knits our community together and something that we are happy to share with others.”

On that same Saturday, April 27, the opening day of trout season, children are invited to participate in the Black Lake Fishing Derby, Ilwaco. Pre-registration guarantees an event t-shirt.

Visitors can also enjoy bike rides, walks and runs on Discovery Trail, hiking at Cape Disappointment and Leadbetter state parks, bird watching all along the 28-mile peninsula, horseback riding on the beach, surf lessons (seasonal), kite flying, charter fishing (seasonal), beachcombing, shopping, and dining.

About the Long Beach Peninsula

Located on the southwestern-most coast of Washington State, the Long Beach Peninsula boasts an inviting mix of sought-out restaurants, ocean-view lodging, unique museums and attractions, lighthouses, fine art studios and galleries, meandering trails, exceptional birding spots, and, above all, a 20-plus mile long stretch of windswept beach. City dwellers “discovered” the rejuvenating benefits of the beach over a hundred years ago and have been coming ever since. The Long Beach Peninsula continues to be one of the Northwest’s most enjoyable and refreshing beach getaways.

For event, lodging, dining and other destination information, please call the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at 800-451-2542 or access www.funbeach.com.

For Clam Festival updates, please “like” the event on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LongBeachWaClamFestival.

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