By By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
As a kick-off prelude to the Summer Festival, which is set for Friday and Saturday, a Family Fun Kick Off takes place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. today at Festival Park, where Michael’s Amusements — rides and games — will be set up.
A one-price arm band that allows the wearer unlimited rides is available for $20.
The Summer Festival officially gets under way at 5 p.m. Friday. The festival runs until 10 p.m. that evening. The festival resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday, concluding at 10 p.m.
One of the key ingredients to a successful Washington Summer Festival is food. The 27th-consecutive Summer Festival will have plenty of food during the festival’s run.
“Things are coming together. Today (Tuesday), the amusement folks are pulling in … and getting their stuff set up,” said Anne Crumpler with the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce, which presents the festival, on Tuesday.
This week, chamber staff and volunteers are making final preparations for the festival.
“We were marking spaces this (Tuesday) morning,” Crumpler said.
Today, the electrical pods that provide power to the vendors will be installed along Stewart Parkway, she noted.
The festival’s food lineup is promising.
“We’ve actually got some pure Greek food — Party in a Pita,” Crumpler said.
Party in a Pita, based in Raleigh, serves traditional Greek and Lebanese food.
For those with a taste for a more domestic menu, Granny’s Country Kitchen will serve fried chicken and country-style vegetables, Crumpler said. In its first appearance at the Summer Festival, Bojangle’s will serve some of its menu items.
Festival-goers seeking seafood may find what they are looking for at Crabby’s Patties, which will serve items such as crab cakes and shrimp burgers.
A large, green character plans to visit the festival, Crumpler said.
“The GEICO gecko will be here. It’s big,” Crumpler said.
The following events and activities are among some of those planned for the festival:
Friday
• Michael’s Amusements (rides and games), 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., green space west of N.C. Estuarium.
• PotashCorp fossil search, 5 to 8 p.m., west end of Stewart Parkway.
• Beer garden, 5 to 9:30 p.m., main stage parking area at corner of Respess Street and Stewart Parkway.
Saturday
• Michael’s Amusements (rides and games), 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., green space west of N.C. Estuarium.
• PCS Phosphate fossil search, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., west end of Stewart Parkway.
• Antique N.C. Highway Patrol motorcycle, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., east end of Stewart Parkway.
• Ronald McDonald show, 11 a.m., PotashCorp main stage.
• Beer garden, 5 to 9:30 p.m., main stage parking area at corner of Respess Street and Stewart Parkway.
Summer Festival T-shirts are on sale the chamber office, located just west of Harding Square at the southern end of South Market Street. The following is the price list for T-shirts:
• Toddlers (size 3T, yellow), $10;
• Children (sizes S,M,L in light blue or green), $12;
• Adult (sizes, S,M,L,XL and XXL in white, pistachio, honey gold or paprika), $16’
• Women’s tank tops (sizes S,M,L and XL in Carolina blue or key lime), $15.
During the festival, T-shirts will be sold at the intersection of Stewart Parkway and Respess Street.
In conjunction with the festival, the Summer Festival golf tournament takes place June 12-13 at the Washington Yacht &Country Club.
Because of the festival, the Saturday Market for June 11 will be held in the open space at the corner of Main and Respess streets near the Beaufort County Arts Council headquarters.