DCMM Hosts Classic & Wooden Boat Festival

“Boats, Books, & Brushes” is the new theme of the 2009 Door County Maritime (DCMM) Classic & Wooden Boat Festival, which takes place this year on the DCMM museum grounds in Sturgeon Bay on Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2.

An open-air painting event, “Paint the Bay,” will encompass the entire Sturgeon Bay waterfront. Artists will have the morning to create their art before returning it for a silent auction inside the museum that afternoon. A People’s Choice vote will select the artwork that will grace the 2010 festival poster.

The “books” portion of the theme refers to a series of maritime author talk session both days with book signings to follow. Karl Bohnak, Richard Purinton and Norbert Blei will be in the museum’s Bridge Room on Saturday, with authors Chris Winters and Trygvie Jensen scheduled for Sunday.

The much-anticipated arrival of the restored 149-foot tug John Purves to its permanent berth in front of the museum highlighted last year’s event, and tours will again be part of the festival admission this year.

A new attraction this year will be tug boat races, allowing kids of all ages to taste a little of the glory for which the Roen Steamship Company tugs became famous nearly a half century ago. The toy tugs will race adjacent to the Purves’ mooring.

The popular Kahlenberg Engine returns this year to delight festival attendees with the sights and sounds of one of most distinctive power plants on the Great Lakes. Last year’s featured vessel Surf & Turf and the 1963 Amphicar will be among the more than 40 vessels on display both on land and water throughout the weekend, with visitors having the opportunity to vote for their favorite.

The show’s most popular event, the Sikaflex Challenge, will be held Saturday at 10 am with up to 12 two-person teams required to build a boat with limited materials and just four hours to garner points to carry over into Sunday’s water race.

The show’s popular raffle is back with many prizes, the top prize being a stunning 11-foot Shellback dinghy, built by a team of builders in a museum class conducted by Clay Bonin. Drawings are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Live entertainment and refreshments will also abound at the festival. For more information, contact 920.743.5958.