Celebrate Salmon in Washington

Across the country, the end of summer inspires small-town and big-city Americans alike to celebrate. Although the themes may be as diverse as American culture--from fire ants and sea witches to blueberries and sweet potatoes--each gathering is, in fact, about the most simple of pleasures. Music played under cloudless skies, the chance to touch the velvety nose of a horse or to dance in the street. The smell of chili stewing and burgers grilling, the Tilt-A-Whirl, cotton candy, a parade.

Fortunately, the county fair hasn't kept pace with the rest of our high-tech world. It is comforting to discover that you and your kids still can enjoy a silly game, listen to a story and laugh at a clown. So end your summer the old-fashioned way. Join in the festivals and fairs--such as the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival in Washington below--and explore a highlight of the fall fair season.

SWIM, FISHY, SWIM

The dramatic, courageous return of the oceangoing salmon to spawn at their own freshwater birthplace is a tribute to endurance. The bright red sockeye and huge summer Chinook have to climb fish ladders over dams, swim upstream for hundreds of miles and evade predators to complete their journey. This seasonal drama has never been lost on residents of the Northwest--Native Americans of the region treat salmon with the respect Plains tribes grant the bison. Nor is it lost on more recent residents of the area, schools of whom attend the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival every year.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS: The fish! See how they are bred in captivity (the festival is held at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery) and how they manage on their own in the wild. It's just a short trip to the Wenatchee River, where salmon can be seen swishing their tails to move gravel into nests. In addition, a Native American encampment of regional tribes provides even more lessons on the importance of the salmon. Members smoke fish and demonstrate salmon-inspired art, drumming, dancing and storytelling.

KIDS' PICKS: Get lost in the aMAZing Salmon Maze! This life-size puzzle replicates the twists and turns that salmon face in their struggle home. It also keeps families learning and laughing as they encounter dead ends (a predator sea lion, for instance) and deposit game chips for overcoming various obstacles. Afterward, kids kick back inside a giant, inflatable, salmon-shape tent and listen to Native American stories, such as the one about the meeting of the tricky coyote and the salmon sisters.

BEST FOOD: For those who can't seem to bring themselves to eat the fish they have just admired--corn dogs and curly fries. For everyone else, salmon delectables include salmon chowder, barbecued salmon and salmon jerky.

BEST SOUVENIRS: Beautiful fish prints on rice paper are suitable for framing. Learning this ancient Japanese art (called gyotaku), kids paint patterns on shad, while receiving slimy, hands-on lessons in the physiology of fish.

THE LOWDOWN: Admission is free. For information about the festival, call 509-548-6662 ext. 250.

About 12,000 people usually attend.

Leavenworth, Washington, is 118 miles east of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains.

For accommodations and area sights, call the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce (509-548-5807).

OTHER AREA ATTRACTIONS: Take a drive (and a picnic basket) up Tumwater Canyon, along the Wenatchee River, to ogle cottonwoods, alders and vine maples in fall regalia.

Barbara Rowley, a contributing editor to FAMILYFUN, dodges darts and wet sponges as a volunteer during Montana's Big Sky Country Fair every August.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.