Marine Market drops anchor this weekend
Published 1:24 am Friday, April 29, 2011
Now here this. Now here this: the first-ever Marine Market in Washington docks this weekend.
The Marine Market is set to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on Stewart Parkway. The two-day event is organized and supported by the Washington Harbor District Alliance.
From fishing hooks to boats, the Marine Market offers a myriad of nautical items and services. Marine-related vendors, a boat-sale flea market and nautical artwork will be part of the Marine Market. For those who get hungry at the Marine Market, seafood and landlubber grub will be available, according to a WHDA news release.
Expect roving pirates and perhaps a visit by George and Martha Washington (OK, not the originals but more-than-adequate facsimiles) during the festival.
Seminars, demonstrations and vessel inspections will be provided by the Pamlico Sail and Power Squadron.
At the North Carolina Estuarium on Saturday, free pontoon-boat rides are scheduled. The Estuarium also hosts Crazy Crab Crafts from 10:30 a.m. until noon that day, along with face-painting and pirate stories for children.
At the Marine Market, several nonprofit groups will have a presence.
The Safe Launch Kayak Initiative will sponsor the Iron Paddle 200/Kayak Sprint on Sunday. Blackbeard’s Adventure Alliance will sell tickets for its Pirate Parlay in May. The Washington Area Historic Foundation will sell tickets for its upcoming homes tour.
Some visitors to the Marine Market will leave with raffle prizes.
Inner Banks Outfitters is donating a Emotion Traverse paddleboard for the raffle. Washington Jewelers is donating Guy Harvey jewelry. NautiLife is donating a handpainted crab-and-shrimp platter. Raffle tickets will be sold during both days of the Marine Market, with the drawings held at 3:30 p.m. May 1.
A raffle ticket costs $5, with a maximum of 500 tickets to be sold. All proceeds from the raffle-ticket sales go to WHDA.