On this sunny yet windy Fourth of July, there was much to fill the day with family fun and bonding experiences. At the iconic Grays Harbor Historical Seaport (GHHS), a block party and musical celebration kept vendors and artists active all while hot dogs and snacks were served.
The schedule included multiple DJ sets, a percussion workshop featuring Three For Silver, live music by Thunder in the Silence and Christopher Johnson, and a diverse array of vendors selling their handmade work throughout the day. This event continued into Saturday, with Grand Marshal Wil Russoul, followed by a Sea Shanty sing-along featuring artists from the previous day.
Brandi Bednarik, the executive director of GHHS, wears many hats when it comes to creating an inviting atmosphere for visitors. The unique setup allowed visitors to come and go at their own pace, celebrating the day and supporting other events around town. Aberdeen Historical Seaport’s view of nature and the water was crystal clear, making it a memorable experience for many.
“It’s a way to bring the community together. We are redeveloping an old site into a public waterfront development. The ultimate purpose is to serve the community and provide access to opportunities. We start by doing these small events, so people know we’re here and what we’re doing. For us, it’s about the history of Grays Harbor and Aberdeen. We’re considering next year pulling out a history fair and think it’s having a couple of museums come and having all participate and celebrating our rich, diverse history with a focus on our maritime history, because that’s what we do. History is really important; it shapes where you’re going and what you learn from the past. I believe, taking over our Founders’ Day next year,” Bednarik said. “Even though it was a smaller group, it’s kind of lovely because you get to go and you’re talking to everybody and meeting people and asking them, ‘what brought you here?’ You turn to the people coming to visit, and they learn about you and what you’re doing. There aren’t many opportunities for that. I don’t know that we have a lot of community gathering spaces here. Hopefully, that’s what we’re trying to become: a place for people to come to know your neighbor and then celebrate your community, the things to be brought up, and the beauty in every community.”
Across the Chehalis River, the SPLASH Festival welcomed families, offering a variety of activities for children to enjoy and performers to watch, including a reptile show by Reptile Isle, a magic show by Brian Ledbetter, and a western physical comedy show by Leapin’ Louie. In addition to these performers, a vast array of slides, food and tents were set up. For food, many gathered for ice cream, kettle corn and Mexican food. There was even a face paint tent, which kids naturally gravitated toward.
One of those setups was the 104.7 KDUX radio station, staffed by Amy and Rick Moyer. Rick also caught many incredible photos of the day, as he is a professional photographer and videographer at Moyer Multi Media LLC. The joy of the day was contagious, and even adults joined in the celebration in unison. Independence Day has many meanings, depending on who you ask, and that brings something special to these events.
“It meant a lot of things over the years. I think when I was a kid, it was all about big barbecues and family. When we had kids, it was all about letting them enjoy fireworks and fun and everything and teaching them that we live in a free country, and now that we’re empty nesters, it’s more fun just to get together with the community and celebrate,” Rick Moyer said. “I enjoyed giving away stuff here at the radio booth, that’s always fun to do. I think the thing I like the most is that I might take pictures of the main event, but if you watch me, I always turn the camera and look at the people, taking pictures of them. It chokes me up because it’s so cool to see the passion and the fun that they’re having, and you see these little kids, and they’re just so delighted. You get a picture of that, and it just says it says more than any word could ever say, that’s so true, and I love that kind of thing.”
Unfortunately, due to a rash of circumstances, the Aberdeen Founders’ Day Parade was canceled.
On Sunday, the Aberdeen Founders’ Day Parade official Facebook account posted, “We really appreciate everyone who came out and participated in our last year as coordinator of Aberdeen’s Founders’ Day. A special thank you to Wil Russoul, our Grand Marshal, who was able to roll with it when plans had to change, and the Historical Seaport for hosting this year’s event and taking over the task for years to come. Thank you to the Montesano cheer group who came and performed since they were so understanding about the need to cancel the parade. Thank you to Randy Beerbower for his amazing T-shirt design … and thank you to the brave vendors who came out and battled the wind and still had fun and a positive attitude through it all.”
