Dungeness Crab Festival | Port Angeles

“The Dungeness Crab Festival is dedicated to celebrating the cultural heritage and maritime traditions of the Dungeness region. Our mission is to foster community engagement, support local businesses, and provide an enriching, educational, and enjoyable experience through our annual festival and related events. We strive to promote sustainability, economic growth, and a sense of unity within our community, honoring the legacy of the Dungeness crab and the natural beauty of our region.

CrabFest is a free, three day event held in downtown Port Angeles, Washington each October. Our festival is always held the same weekend as Canadian Thanksgiving, which falls on the second Monday of October. CrabFest hosts approximately 12,000 visitors each year, with about 4,000 coming across on the Black Ball Ferry Line from Victoria, British Columbia.

The event is a mostly outdoor festival, held rain or shine – and it can get a little damp on the Washington coast in October! It’s a great weekend to pack your favorite rain boots. Festival activities include free live music, a vendor market showcasing 75+ amazing artisan and resale vendors, fun activities for the kids, a live Search and Rescue demonstration (Saturday afternoon, schedule permitting), free tours of a United States Coast Guard boat, beer and wine garden, and of course – food! We sell a festival crab dinner, which is the favorite for visitors, but also host many local restaurants with their best seafood specialties for sale as well as a few food trucks and other outdoor food vendors.”