Western-themed SummerFest set for Saturday in Aberdeen
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 13, 2025
“It’s happening!” Bobbi McCracken of the Downtown Aberdeen Association exclaimed when asked about SummerFest during a visit to The Daily World.
“This will be our 7th annual SummerFest Goes West,” Bette Worth, McCracken’s partner in crime, said. “It’s family friendly fun. That’s kind of our motto. While there are things you can purchase, the activities that take place are free.”
Thirty-six vendors are lined up for the event — everything from arts and crafts to a variety of food. The event will also include a classic car cruise in, a scavenger hunt, a balloon artist, a Skittle sorting contest, live music, a raffle featuring a variety of prizes, and a watermelon eating contest. The proceeds from the raffle will go to help fund SummerFest 2026.
One of the signature events is the BBQ tasting which is set for noon to 1:30 p.m. with six contestants. However, McCracken and Worth advised getting your tickets right away. They go on sale at 11 a.m. on Saturday and ducats are expected to go fast.
Fresh off several shows at the Grays Harbor County Fair, acrobatic comedian Roberto the Magnificent is scheduled to perform at 11 a.m.
New this year is the SummerFest After Party, Beyond SummerFest, which is set for 4:30 to 11 p.m., featuring live music at several venues in downtown Aberdeen including Messy Jessy’s and The Taproom and a laser light show.
“People say there’s nothing to do in Grays Harbor and we are here to prove there is a lot to do. This year there’s more to do because it’s going to last way into the evening,” McCracken said. “It’s a community event, come down and see people you maybe only see once or twice a year. Come down, have fun, be entertained. You can come and spend the day and not spend a penny.”
“We love our community and we want to see it be successful. We’d like to have people aware of what we offer. Come down and see what Aberdeen has to offer. Have fun,” Worth said. “Come to the event, for sure, walk around town, go to the businesses, see what they have to offer, there’s fun things to do downtown.”
Worth says SummerFest wouldn’t happen without the efforts of numerous people and organizations. “We couldn’t have done it without the help of businesses as well as people to donate and support this event,” Worth said.
“We also can’t do it without all the volunteers we have. Bette and I do a lot, but we couldn’t do it alone and we’d be divorced if we did,” McCracken said.
“From each other and our spouses,” Worth quipped.
The forecast isn’t particularly encouraging as Aberdeen is expected to go from hot and sunny to cool and rainy in just a few short days. If World Music Day was any indication, it’ll take more than a few raindrops to keep people away from SummerFest 2025.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/aberdeendowntown or https://www.downtownaberdeen.org/summerfest for more information.
