The famed fish tote race will be in Crescent Harbor on Saturday, August 12th at 1 p.m., first come, first serve. (Photo by Bobbi Jordan)

Downloadable audio.

The Sitka Seafood Festival is back. The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust has taken over management, orienting the seafood-themed celebration around the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association’s ongoing efforts to train and support young fishermen.

Alyssa Russell and Willow Moore with the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association were joined by Festival Coordinator Emma Edson to talk about the festival, which kicks off with a storytelling event on Wild Salmon Day, Thursday, August 10th.

Highlights include:

  • “Wet Feet: Stories On, In, Under, and Of the Sea,” a storytelling night with Sitka Tells Tales at Beak Restaurant
  • A seafood trivia night at the Mean Queen
  • A film festival with the Sitka Film Society
  • Educational booths and games at the Crescent Harbor Shelter
  • Marine biology lecture and tours of the local harbor with Dr. James Carlton, Professor of Marine Sciences Emeritus at Williams College
  • “Coming to America: Invasive Species, Ocean Rafting, and Japanese Tsunami Marine Debris,” a lecture by Dr. Carlton at the Sitka Sound Science Center
  • Fish skin sewing classes at the Sheldon Jackson Museum
  • A lecture on Inupiaq mask carving at the Sheldon Jackson Museum
  • A family-friendly ocean treasure hunt around the Japonski Island boathouse, sponsored by the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society
  • A fall season’s-end closing banquet at Centennial Hall

A full schedule of events is available at sitkaseafoodfestival.com. Proceeds will go towards funding the Young Fishermen’s Initiative.

Anyone interested in getting involved in the festival — by planning, donating, volunteering, or running a booth — is welcome to reach out to sitkaseafoodfestival@gmail.com.