The biggest festival on Prince of Wales Island returned to Coffman Cove on Aug. 8 – 9 with live music, poetry and vendors.
This was the 15th year of Arts in the Cove: A Festival by the Sea. The organization that runs the festival, Arts in the Cove, said they hope to have grossed around $15,000 from the event. They plan to put some of that money towards their new community center, which just opened in March in the lobby of the ferry terminal building. Right now, they offer activities like fitness and art classes at the center.
“It gets long and dark and cold here, so it’s important to have some place where the community get together,” said Arts in the Cove President Carla Morrison.
Morrison moved to Coffman Cove from a suburb of Seattle in 2023, right as the town was trying to revive its arts festival. According to Morrison, the previous organizers didn’t file their taxes properly, so a new group of leaders had to step up to form a new organization.
“There was this big town meeting [saying] we’re going to have to cancel the arts festival. It’s not legal any longer, unless somebody else steps up and does it,” Morrison said. “And they’re like, ‘We can’t let it just die. People love that.’ It’s a huge thing in our community.”
So Morrison and eight other women artists formed the new board. Together, they organize the festival, but also three other events: a Fourth of July celebration, a Holiday Bazaar and a swap meet.
It rained almost constantly throughout the two festival days this year, but that didn’t stop people from traveling from across the island to attend. Connie Olsen lives about an hour’s drive away in Thorne Bay. She was one of the festival’s many vendors, selling her jewelry made of wire, beads and fossilized walrus ivory.
Olsen also won the seafood dip contest with her homemade crab dip. She was presented $100 and a fish-shaped trophy for her efforts.
“I didn’t use a recipe. I just did it. And my husband wanted me to add another spice,” Olsen said. “I’m glad I didn’t, because I won first place.”
Arts in the Cove is also well-loved by longtime Coffman Cove residents. Samantha Rice grew up coming to the festival and said it’s nice to see plenty of local representation in the performances and art.
“Southeast Alaska is a very unique place where a lot of artists … [have] a special connection to nature,” Rice said. “Arts in the Cove is just another great example of something that we’re able to do to showcase that artwork here.”
