The location may have been new, but the annual Kiwanis Pig War picnic still had more than its share of traditional Fourth of July fun. Local band Chameleons played, people danced, kids scrabbled through hay looking for coins, eggs were tossed and people of all ages tried the three-legged races.
The Port of Friday Harbor's first-ever Rock 'n Roll Regatta drew crowds of folks to the Friday Harbor Marina. San Juan Airline dropped prizes for the Paddle Race. Participants raced to pick up competitors on paddle boards, kayaks and rowboats did their best to retrieve the dropped items.
There was no sinking in the cardboard boat race. The creative entries stayed afloat. Creative and unsinkable cardboard watercraft raced.
92.9 KISM's Brad and John broadcast their morning and afternoon shows live. Friday's festivities wound up with music from Rocktapus, a beer garden provided by the San Juan Island Lions and food by Vic's Drive In.
Photos by Matt Pranger.
The 107th Friday Harbor High School graduation ceremony saw 61 students receive their diplomas. The Class of 2019 was known for its humor. The class slogan was a quote from the sitcom The Office. On senior prank day instead of skipping school the students camped in the hallways complete with tents and bird chirps on their smart phones.
The traditional Memorial Day Parade took place at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, 2019 in Friday Harbor. Marchers began at the San Juan County Courthouse on Court Street, continued down Second Street, turned onto Spring Street and assembled at Memorial Park (Circle Park)
Veterans representing the branches of service hold roses presented to them during a Memorial Day ceremony honoring fallen veterans at Friday Harbor's Memorial Park Monday, May 27. Matt Pranger photo
They listened to speakers including Marine veteran and former Hackett-Larson Post 163 Commander Peter DeLorenzi . The ceremony included introductions of representatives of all branches of military service.
The poem "Flanders Field" was read. Children threw flowers into the water in honor of those who died at sea.
Taps was played. The firing of the cannon closed the ceremony.
All photos by Matt Pranger
Drivers, builders, and spectators gathered on Grover Street in Friday Harbor Sunday, May 19 for the fourth running of Island Rec's famous Hill of Thrills Soap Box Race. A wide variety of designs and materials went into the creation of the homemade non-motorized contraptions.
San Juan Island boys and girls scurried over the driftwood at Jacksons Beach on Easter Sunday hunting for the 1,500 brightly dyed eggs. As they've done for the past 25 years, San Juan Island's Firefighter Association hosted their annual Jacksons Beach Easter Egg Hunt.
The sun was shining, the colorful dyed eggs were hidden in the gardens, the Easter Bunny and the Carrots on hand, and dozens of children were waiting at the rope lines. The annual Easter Egg Hunt at Roche Harbor Resort started promptly at 1 p.m. and it wasn't long before the first golden egg was found.
Georgia Vanderyacht won the jellybean jar and a $100 bill by guessing almost exactly the number of jellybeans. Photos by Sharon Kivisto
After the Friday Harbor Kiwanis team finished in second place in the 2018 Knowledge Bowl, team member Brandon Cadwell immersed himself in the game show Jeopardy to prepare for the 2019 competition. It paid off as the team - Cadwell, Nancy Fusare, Beth Eden, Lowell Jons - won the 25th Annual San Juan Public Schools Foundation Knowledge Bowl.
We're Number 1.
Signs, songs and speakers - it was the third Annual Women's March in Friday Harbor. About 250 people gathered to listen and to march on Saturday, January 2019. Former San Juan County Commissioner Rhea Miller was the main speaker. After Miller's speech, Sharon Abreu from Orcas Island led the crowd in singing a new song by Susan Osborn entitled "Chain of Life".
The Town of Friday Harbor sparkled with holiday lights again this year. Festivities kicked off with the Festival of Lights tree lighting sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, The Whale Museum and Island Rec. Village at the Harbour welcomed crowds to their Holiday Open House. Santa showed up at several events. The Farmer's Market celebrated the season.
We hope you enjoy the slideshow. Photos by Matt Pranger and Sharon Kivisto
Friday Harbor sparkled with a myriad of holiday lights throughout the month of December. Festivities at Brickworks, The Whale Museum, Village at the Harbour and at Memorial Park were just some of the activities. Santa made several appearances. We hope you enjoy the slideshow.
Tacos, hotdogs, Fred Flintstone, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, plenty of princesses, soldiers, muscle men and unicorns wound their way through downtown Friday Harbor Wednesday morning for the Friday Harbor Elementary School's Annual Halloween Parade. A video is posted at the bottom of this page and also on Youtube
Kids from Lighthouse Preschool enjoyed watching the bigger kids parade by.
Matt Pranger Photos
We've posted slideshows of the Friday Harbor 4th of July Parade, the prize-winners, and the Pig War Picnic. Here's one last slideshow of the crowds watching the parade. Scroll down for our favorite video from the parade - the Seahawks Blue Thunder drum line.
The San Juan Island Kiwanis hosted the annual Pig War Picnic right after the 4th of July Parade in Friday Harbor. Islanders and visitors gathered on the grounds of the San Juan Historical Museum on Price Street.
