Great things are happening in Port Townsend in April! The city continues its run of fantastic virtual and in person events (following the Governor of Washington’s safety guidelines) with a little something for everyone, from Foodies to Sailors and everything in between! Check out April’s activities, and consider future options for your dream vacation in Port Townsend!

The opening day of the Jefferson County Farmers Market kicks off on April 3 in the uptown area of Port Townsend. The Market has plenty of delicious food options to choose from, including fresh, seasonal produce picked from area farms, pasture raised meats, seafood, artisan cheeses, local wines, ciders, and crafts! More than just a stop on an itinerary, the Jefferson County Farmers Market is a tourist destination all its own.

The Artful Sailor has a busy month full of nautical instruction lined up in April, starting with the Pedal and Treadle Sewing Machine Workshop on April 3. The course is a one-day basic that highlights sewing machine maintenance, adjustments and sewing skills. They also have a heaving line workshop on April 17, which will feature the making of a heaving line, the knots, splices and seizing as well as the effective coiling and heaving of the line.

Carrying on with the nautical them is the Northwest Maritime Center’s class: Electronic Navigation and VHF on April 12. The virtual class will be an introduction to the many electronic tools that can help you navigate safely, such as Depth Sounders, GPS, Chart Plotters, AIS, Radar and VHF Radio. Useful knowledge if you plan on sailing the high seas!

In other exciting news from the Northwest Maritime Center, the 45^th Annual Wooden Boat Festival is returning with in person attendance September 10-12. The festival organizers have Covid safety plans in place to meet health guidelines in September as well as contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances but remains optimistic the event will happen. The Wooden Boat Festival is the largest of its kind in North America and features the beauty of the maritime culture in Port Townsend with demonstrations, presentations, maritime products for sale, races, music and food.

Centrum is featuring the Merz Trio as part of its Chamber Music series virtually on April 11.  On April 12, Centrum continues its Communiversity Lecture series with author Sarah Vowell. Sarah will offer humorous and personal accounts of American History and current events and politics. She is the author of Unfamiliar Fishes, Assassination Vacation and Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center is hosting its Spring Migration Cruise on April 17 and 24. The cruise will take passengers on an afternoon ride through the Protection Island Aquatic Reserve and will feature history of the preserve and the sea birds and marine life that call the island and surrounding waters home.

For lovers of fine cinema, The Port Townsend Film Festival will be presenting Women and Film 2021, streaming from April 23-May 2. The virtual event will feature 16 filmmakers as well as interviews.

These great events are just a taste of the experiences that await you in Port Townsend. Use EnjoyPT.com to craft the perfect itinerary for your future dream vacation!

The coming weeks are full of exciting opportunities to experience Port Townsend! The health and safety of our residents and visitors is one of our highest priorities. The City of Port Townsend, The Jefferson County Government, Department of Emergency Management & Public Health Departments, business owners, employees , residents and visitors have adopted the JeffcoCARES pledge to highlight the care and commitment we have in keeping the community  safer. Over 200 businesses have joined the pledge thus far!

The Northwest Maritime Center is continuing its crop of virtual classes with a few options for the nautically-minded. The ‘Ask An Expert’ Winter Series resumes on February 3 with Behan and Jamie Gifford: Pandemic Cruising in Mexico. For more hands-on knowledge, consider checking out the Electronic Navigation and VHF class on February 15 or the Anchoring and Anchorages virtual class on February 22-23. Learn the fundamentals of anchoring, from deploying and setting to retrieval.

To stretch your artistic muscles, consider some of the virtual classes presented by Northwind Arts. On February 5 is a Watercolor Basics with Kelly Drake. In this class you will learn the basics of using watercolors from the right brush to use to how to mix your paints. Or, if you’re interested in something a little more outside the lines, consider the Make It Abstract Class with Meg Kaczyk. In this online class, you get to explore the delightful world of the abstract.

The Jefferson County Historical Society kicks off its 2021 First Friday Speaker series with Baking and Candy Making with Sugar Hill Farms on February 5. From the JCHS: “Our 2021 First Friday Speaker Series celebrates the art of making, featuring makers from throughout Jefferson County and the broader peninsula. From food and fiber to metal and wood, we’re honoring materials and making of all kinds.” Join Brenda from Sugar Hill Farms virtually as she shares her recipe for hot chocolate bombs!

The virtual “Have a Heart”, A Just Collage Workshop with Anne Schneider and presented by Northwind Arts is happening on Feb 9. Have fun making collages of many hearts using bright and colorful paper. Your Valentine will love this unique creation!

If you’re looking for special Valentine’s Day options, Port Townsend has plenty of romantic activities! Soak on the Sound is a premiere spa located right here in Port Townsend! They are offering couple’s options for soaks and saunas. They have water soaking tubs, infrared saunas and steam saunas! Sweat out the winter chill in style!

Another popular location for a romantic stroll is downtown Port Townsend. Take in the beautiful architecture and Victorian style of the historic buildings in the city, and consider stopping in for a socially distant drink at one of Port Townsend’s premier nightlife locations, such as the Port Townsend Brewing Company or Vintage by Port Townsend Vineyards.

When we are all free to travel in a safer and healthier way, this vibrant community will be here to welcome you! Start planning your dream vacation now!

December is wrapping up and a new year is just around the corner in Port Townsend. Although the way the city interacts with its visitors has changed due to the Governor’s COVID safety guidelines, Port Townsend and its residents are excited to welcome you virtually for the time being, and invite you to plan your future dream vacation for when it’s safe to travel once again.

Port Townsend is home to a variety of educational institutions, museums and schools, many of which are offering virtual experiences to welcome in the new year. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is hosting The Future of Oceans Lecture series via Zoom on January 10, 2021 The topic will be “What Eelgrass and Other Marine Vegetation Can Tell Us about the Future of the Ocean” and will be led by Dr. Ronald Thom. Better yet, the event is free! If you liked what you heard at the Lecture Series, a follow up Deep Dive Conversation will be happening on January 11, 2021 with Dr. Thom, and it will be a science-style café.

Fort Worden is one of many beautiful and historic locations in Port Townsend, and it too is hosting numerous online events to kick off the new year! The Virtual Feel Good. Do Good. Yoga event from Madrona Mind Body Institute, located at the Fort, is January 4, 2021 and benefits the Re-Cyclery in Port Townsend. From Madrona Mind Body Institute: “Yoga benefits YOU, and these monthly by donation yoga classes benefit great causes in our Community! Breathe. Stretch. Feel good. Do good.” All levels welcome!

If you are interested in exploring your more creative channels in the New Year, the Port Townsend School of the Arts has you covered! There are multiple art courses being presented, from online collage creation to watercolor basics, all January long! Learn about Painting Conservation with an online lecture presented by Elisabeth Mention. She will give an overview of the profession, and participants will learn about techniques and materials used in painting conservation as well as an understanding of the structure and materials used in European easel paintings. The lecture is on January 27, 2021 via Zoom.

Another creative alternative for exploring the culture of Port Townsend from the safety of your home is the Rose Theater’s streaming collection. The Rose Theater in Port Townsend features a world-class lineup of movies. Now with safety guidelines prohibiting in person viewing, the Rose has curated a top-notch list of movies to stream from the coziness of your couch!

Also streaming in January is a live production from Key City Public Theatre of May’s Vote. The streamed performance features the lives of two Washington State women who fought for the right of women to vote in the United States. Commentary and Q&A with the actors, Barbara Callander and Denise Winter, will happen with every performance.

Port Townsend is synonymous with the water, from its storied maritime past to its modern-day working waterfront. Keeping up that maritime tradition is the Northwest Maritime Center. The Maritime Center is offering online courses in January to keep eager seafarers sated until smooth sailing weather rolls around in the warmer months. On January 6, 2021 is the Wooden Boat Festival’s Ask an Expert Winter Online Series! The event features interviews, demos and videos followed by Q&As in this unique zoom experience. In eight zoom sessions the series visits maritime experts from all over the world. Ask the experts your questions from the comfort of your own home! Register for the event at woodenboat.org/ask-an-expert.

Continuing with the nautical theme, the Northwest Maritime Center is also offering online courses on Radar, Charts & Dead Reckoning and Tides and Currents in the Salish Sea to round out the practical skills necessary for sailing in the Northwest!

The health and safety of our residents and visitors is one of our highest priorities. The City of Port Townsend, The Jefferson County Government, Department of Emergency Management & Public Health Departments , business owners, employees , residents and visitors have adopted the JeffcoCARES pledge to highlight the care and commitment we have in keeping the community safer. Over 200 businesses have joined the pledge thus far. When we are all free to travel in a safer and healthy way, this vibrant community will be here to welcome you! Start planning your dream vacation now!

No matter how you decide to Enjoy Port Townsend, either virtually or in person, we wish you all a safe, healthy and happy 2021!