Romance is in the air with Valentine’s Day just a few short weeks away. This year it falls on a three-day weekend—perfect for an escape with your sweetheart to Port Townsend for a romantic weekend getaway! We have a wide array of fantastic accommodations to suit your style. Click here for choices and to book your reservation. Many of our restaurants are offering Valentine’s specials too. For more details, contact our Visitor Information Center at info@jeffcountychamber.org or 360.385.2722.

With Port Townsend as your home base, tour the Olympic Peninsula Wineries for their luscious Red Wine and Chocolate event over two weekends in 2015: February 7 & 8 and 14, 15 & 16. You’ll love the classic pairings of handcrafted wines and locally-made chocolate delights, and of course, the spectacular scenery en route to each winery.

The ticket and glass package entitles you to a special commemorative wine glass, complimentary wine tasting and chocolate samples at the nine participating wineries. Book online tickets.

Love fishing? Register now for the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby’s $10,000 Winter Blackmouth Classic, February 20-22, 2015.

Launch your boat at Port Townsend’s Boat Haven Marina and head out to the Strait with over 500 miles for fishing, from Tongue Point in the west through Freshwater Bay, Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Port Hadlock, Marrowstone Island, Port Ludlow, to Whidbey Island in the east.

And if fishing isn’t your passion, but it is for your spouse/partner, stay in Port Townsend and enjoy meandering through our boutique shops and galleries, then grab a bite to eat at one of our delicious restaurants or cafes.

The sailboat racing season opens with the 24th Annual Port Townsend Shipwrights’ Regatta on February 28, 2015. Boats of all construction are welcome. As always, the race is open to folks who would like to try sailboat racing, but do not have a boat. Non-boat owners are encouraged to show up at the Skippers’ Meeting and be connected with skippers looking for crew.

The regatta is presented by the Northwest Maritime Center and Wooden Boat Foundation, in conjunction with the Port Townsend Sailing Association.

Port Townsend has Eco-Friendly, EV (Electric Vehicle) Parking Stations! When you arrive in your EV, there are six new, free charging locations. The Level II stations have been donated by local solar contractor Power Trip Energy, and the electricity is being provided free of charge by the hosting businesses.

The charging locations are:

• NW Maritime Center, last space at end of Water Street
• Windermere Real Estate, 1220 Water Street *
• GreenPod Development, 1531 W Sims Way *
• PT Laundromat and Car Wash, 2115 W Sims Way
• John L Scott Real Estate, 2219 W Sims Way *
• Power Trip Energy – 83 Denny Ave, just outside town

* To be installed in early February

Many EV drivers are familiar with PlugShare.com and the PlugShare app which will provide details and maps for each of the stations as they go live.

Save the date for upcoming events in March:

March 5-15, 2015
19th Annual Playwrights Festival
Key City Public Theatre, Port Townsend
Port Townsend Arts Commission’s Festival of New Plays

March 20-22, 2015
Victorian Heritage Festival
Port Townsend and Fort Worden
Join in the celebration of Port Townsend’s extraordinary maritime traditions and history. Pub crawl, tours inside Victorian buildings,fashion show and more.

We look forward to welcoming you to Port Townsend!

The New Year is off to a roaring start this month with the 11th Annual Strange Brewfest, January 23-24, 2015, boasting wildly inventive, palate-challenging craft brews featuring over 50 breweries and cideries, along with more than 80 mind-bending potations.

This iconic festival is an indoor-outdoor event based in downtown Port Townsend at the American Legion Hall in our National Historic Landmark District.

Taste is not the only sense that Strange Brewfest 11 will tempt. Be dazzled by the sights and sounds of the weekend with a continuous lineup of rockin’ music. Indulge in the carnival-like atmosphere that this festival is known for.

Artisan pizza fired in a wood-burning oven, oysters on the half shell and seafood chowder are just a few of the culinary delights that will be prepared by local vendors.

One of our local cideries, Finnriver Farm and Cidery, has participated over the years, creating unique blends made especially for this event.

Co-owner Crystie Kisler says, “Finnriver has enjoyed the creativity that the Strange Brewfest has inspired at our cidery. It’s a wonderful opportunity to think way outside the box and a great justification for taking some strange risks. Several years ago our crew member Chris Weir made a crazy hot Habanero Cider for Strange Brew and it has since become a staple in our contemporary cider line-up.

“For this year’s event, Finnriver is bringing two unusual ciders to the party. The first is our late winter ‘seasonal botanical’ cider called Solstice Saffron, featuring prized saffron grown on the Olympic Peninsula by Jim Robinson at Phocas Farms. The cider begins its fermentation on the winter solstice and the bright saffron notes, along with hints of fennel, invoke the return of the light!

“The second cider is the fermented lovechild of Finnriver cidermaker Andrew Byers and is an expression of his fondness for things fungal! Working with the world-class mycologists at Fungi Perfecti, Andrew has crafted a cider called Myco Jasmine that carries the flavors from the deep earth to the blossoming surface. This crisp cider is begun with a lively ferment of apple atop a mound of mycelium and finished with the ethereal nose of jasmine green tea.”

Admission to Strange Brewfest 11 is $30/person which gives you a souvenir tasting glass, four tasting tokens and a wristband for both days. Additional tasting tokens are $1.50 each. This is a 21 and over event.

For event details visit www.strangebrewfestpt.com.

We look forward to welcoming you to Port Townsend in 2015! Happy New Year!

Strange Brewfest photos by David Lindsay.