'Diverse' weather doesn't dampen Whaling Days

"Bigger wasn’t always better at Whaling Days last weekend, but at least the weather held up.The expanded Red Robin Kids’ Korner came out the big winner for Whaling Days, while the expanded beer garden busted.“We were really happy – the event went really well,” Whaling Days committee chair Vickie Garrison said. “We had diversified weather and managed to have it not rain on Sunday.”The rain held off for the Saturday Silverdale Dandy Lions Whaling Days Grand Parade, where CSTOCK won Grand Marshal’s Award. Red Robin won the Judge’s Choice and Home Depot went home with the King Lion’s Award.On Sunday, the Great Kitsap Duck Race went off with only a few hitches. Silverdale Rotary Great Kitsap Duck Race chair Bob Cathcart said the event raised $70,000 for community organizations. “We did not sell out, we were about a thousand shy, but still we raised on the order of $70,000,” Cathcart said. “My personal goal was to sell out, but this was very good. ... It was on par with last year.”Port Orchard residents Bambi and Shawn Hawkins won the Silverdale Rotary’s Great Kitsap Duck Race grand prize, a new Toyota truck. Other Duck winners include Sen. Betti Sheldon, who won a Singer sewing machine, Bremerton Parks Director Cris Gears, who won a Dine Around Town Package and Silverdale lawyer Brian Buskirk, who won sport trading cards.Garrison said she was particularly delighted with the success of the bigger Red Robin Kids’ Korner, which the committee devoted an additional $13,000 to this year. “It went very, very well. Based just on the Saturday results, we doubled in one day what we made all last year in the kids area,” Garrison said. “It was very affordable family entertainment and we all had a good time.”But the expanded hours for the beer garden did not provoke such positive reviews. The Whaling Days committee expanded its hours this year to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday to allow people to drink after the fireworks display. Along with the longer hours, however, came rowdy behavior. “We found that people were going in there and getting very loud,” Garrison said. Volume of the patrons aside, the new hours were at least popular. “We were shutting it down and the line was going around the corner,” Garrison said. She added that the addition of a riding bull (person-operated, not a real animal) was also very popular.Nonetheless, Garrison said the Whaling Days committee and chair of the 21 Club, Vicki Webb, will review the impact of the longer hours and probably shorten them again for next year, Garrison said. This year’s surprise hit was the Whaling Days wine selection, Bonair Winery Yakima Valley Reisling. It sold out early Saturday afternoon. “We totally sold out. This is the first year that we were profitable on the wine. Part of that was the wine was a very good tasting, sweet blush,” Garrison said. on the Saturday results, we doubled in one day what we made all last year in the kids area,” Garrison said. “It was very affordable family entertainment and we all had a good time.”But the expanded hours for the beer garden did not provoke such positive reviews. The Whaling Days committee expanded its hours this year to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday to allow people to drink after the fireworks display. Along with the longer hours, however, came rowdy behavior. “We found that people were going in there and getting very loud,” Garrison said. Volume of the patrons aside, the new hours were at least popular. “We were shutting it down and the line was going around the corner,” Garrison said. She added that the addition of a riding bull (person-operated, not a real animal) was also very popular.Nonetheless, Garrison said the Whaling Days committee and chair of the 21 Club, Vicki Webb, will review the impact of the longer hours and probably shorten them again for next year, Garrison said. This year’s surprise hit was the Whaling Days wine selection, Bonair Winery Yakima Valley Reisling. It sold out early Saturday afternoon. “We totally sold out. This is the first year that we were profitable on the wine. Part of that was the wine was a very good tasting, sweet blush,” Garrison said. "

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