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Red, White, and Boom rocks downtown Aberdeen

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 6, 2026

By T. Michaels The Daily World

T. Michaels photos / The Daily World Oden Brown, 11, from Hoquiam throws a perfect strike that would activate the dunk tank at Aberdeen’s Red, White and Boom Saturday.
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T. Michaels photos / The Daily World

Oden Brown, 11, from Hoquiam throws a perfect strike that would activate the dunk tank at Aberdeen’s Red, White and Boom Saturday.

T. Michaels photos / The Daily World Oden Brown, 11, from Hoquiam throws a perfect strike that would activate the dunk tank at Aberdeen’s Red, White and Boom Saturday.
Downtown Aberdeen Association members extraordinaire Bette Worth (left) and Bobbi McCracken pose in suits from a Splash Festival 15 years ago. Their foresight and effort saw a great Red,White and Boom for Aberdeen.
During the Red, White and Boom celebration, Bruce Kuhnau from Aberdeen poses next to the 1961 Corvette he purchased for $1,200 in 1968.
Huge crowds attended Aberdeen’s Red, White and Boom Saturday.
Aberdeen officers Jacob Shaw (from left), Dakota Reninger,and Tommy Wallace watch the corner of Wishkah and Broadway during Aberdeen’s festival Saturday.
Crowds were strong at the Red, White and Boom event Saturday in downtown Aberdeen.

Saturday’s America 250 celebration in Aberdeen sponsored by the Downtown Aberdeen Association and Five Star Dealerships surpassed all expectations and set the tone for an unforgettable July Fourth weekend.

Aberdeen’s Red, White and Boom replaced the former Splash Festival and saw thousands of patrons enter downtown Aberdeen Saturday afternoon to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday and our Grays Harbor heritage.

Bette Worth and Bobbi McCracken spearheaded the event for the Downtown Aberdeen Association and worked for the past eight months in the hope that the Red, White, and Boom could replace the Splash Festival that had declining interest over the last decade with little effect on the business interests in Aberdeen. Their idea worked impressively. Almost every appropriate business downtown was open and participated in the Red, White and Boom in one way or another.

The Downtown Aberdeen Association supplied prizes for the kids at the fishing booth, bean bag toss, ring toss, dunk tank, ax throwing, face painting, and cornhole for which they could earn prizes supplied by the Downtown Aberdeen Association.

Although an official count of participants is difficult because it was a free event to the community, best guesses from officials who were there until the afternoon put participants in the 2,000 to 2,500 range downtown. Bobbi and Bette ran out of prizes for the kiddos enough times where they were told that “WalMart is out of candy and toys!”

Bette was ”so happy to see how many volunteers showed up to help with all the stuff that was going on,” many of them were former Splash Festival folks that showed up. “We were so grateful because with the huge turnout, we needed them.”

Bobbi noted how well the live music was received, and how the many food vendors were down to their last stocks by the end.

“This was just a great way for this celebration to kick off,” Bobbi said. “It was great for families and children and it all happened downtown like it’s supposed to be. Our community should be proud, I know we are.”

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