August 5 - Jake the Alligator Man’s 4th Annual 75th Birthday Party – Long Beach. Who knew he was that old? Check the Web site for details about this celebration which will be held at, of course, Marsh’s Free Museum in downtown Long Beach.

August 5-6 – Art in the Heart/First Friday Musicians and artists take over central downtown Vancouver during the annual Art in the Heart celebration which kicks off on Friday night with the monthly artwalk. Don’t miss the authors’ tent in front of Angst Gallery and Niche Wine Bar. Stop by and say “hello” to master mystery writer, Carolyn Rose!

Aug 5 – 14 – Clark County Fair – 143 years! Clark County’s biggest summer party starts on August 5. This is one great county fair. So much to see including dock dogs, an Amazing Scone Baking Race, concerts, 4H exhibits, cowgirl tricks (Dale Evans and Annie Oakley live on!), amusement rides and, the best reason of all, the Clark County Dairy Women’s super fresh and tasty milkshakes. See you there!

August 7 – Columbia River Concours d’Elegance – Hundreds of classic cars restored to showroom polish will be on display at Officers Row in Vancouver.

August 7 – Jane Weber Evergreen Arboretum and Botanical Garden Open House – 9215 SE Old Evergreen Highway, Vancouver. Noon-6 p.m. includes lemonade and cookies on the lawn. A wonderful opportunity to tour the arboretum. The property includes the John Stanger house.

August 10 – National S’Mores Day – Get your Hershey bars out and start your campfire (in a safe location, if legal, please!) OR make them in your microwave, though it’s not quite the same. See August 30 for a related holiday.

August 10-14 – Columbia Gorge International Film Festival - This film lover is REALLY looking forward to the Columbia Gorge International Film Festival, which will include the fabulous new Kiggins Theatre as one of the venues. Check out this ZEST interview with the festival’s founder, Breven Warren.

August 10-14 – Skamania County Fair & Timber Carnival – Another great fair and it’s free! Head out to Stevenson for a LOT of activities with all the usual fun livestock competitions, exhibits, music and carnival rides. Nevada Slim and Cimarron Sue will be appearing.

August 12-13 – Blues and Seafood at the Port of Ilwaco. Port of Ilwaco. There will be LOTS of music at this festival starting with an all-star jam on Friday night. Norman Sylvester performs on Saturday. Willapa Bay oysters, microbrews and regional wines and will be featured. Save some barbequed oysters for me, please.

August 15 - The Washington State International Kite Festival (WSIKF) is a week-long kite celebration and competition held annually during the third full week of August in Long Beach with professional and amateur kite flyers. Voted ‘Best Kite Festival in the World’ by Kite Trade Association International.

August 16-21 – Southwest Washington Fair – Chehalis – Fun music with Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone, among other groups and activities at this Chehalis-based fair.

August 18-20 – Wahkiakum County Fair and Farmers Market – Rides and games, food and vendors in Skamokawa.

August 19-21 – Bridge of the Gods Kiteboarding Festival – For a totally different kind of kite, kiteboarders from across the nation will compete in the nation’s longest running amateur kiteboarding contest. Held at the Port of Skamania’s East Point Kite Beach.

August 24-28 - Pacific County Fair – August is truly the month of county fairs. The Pacific County Fair in Menlo will include all the fun activities plus Stormy the Clown, Professor Bamboozle and an Elvis Tribute.

August 26-28 – Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival – Vancouver’s premier music festival graces Esther Short Park again. Great wines, beautiful art and fantastic music. Take your lawn chairs. This year’s line up includes Diane Schuur, Spyro Gyra, Arturo Sandoval and Al Jarreau among many others. Check out this ZEST post for opening night from last year’s festival.

Mavis Staples headlined the 2010 Festival

August 27 – Bigfoot Bash and Bounty – Home Valley Park in Skamania County. The day starts with pancakes, continues with Bigfoot authors and spotters and ends with a Bigfoot movie. What more could you want? (If you go, check out the camping at Timberlake Campground.) Take your camera and watch out for Bigfoot!

August 30 – National Marshmallow Toasting Day – You know what that means. If not, refer back to August 10…

Welcome, summer! Check out the incredibly diverse events going on in Southwest Washington for June. From the Long Beach to Stevenson, Vancouver to Winlock, there are plenty of choices and no excuses for staying home!

June 10 and 25 – Waikiki Beach Concert Series – Cape Disappointment State Park. No, you don’t have to fly to Hawaii to experience this Waikiki Beach. The summer concert series kicks off with Mighty Ghosts (country pickin’, bluegrass harmonies and back-porch folk) on June 10 and Southwest Washington’s favorites Misty Mamas (home-style bluegrass, oldtime, gospel and folk) on June 25. Concerts are at 7 p.m.

Misty Mamas

June 10-25 – Magenta Theater Company presents Life with Father – Vancouver. Magenta Theater presents the classic comedy set in the 1800s. Magenta’s intimate, and recently reconfigured, theater in downtown Vancouver is a very fun place to experience plays up close and personal!

Life with Father

June 11 – Divine Consign Home and Garden Tour – Vancouver. Tour homes and gardens in historic downtown Vancouver. Proceeds will benefit at-risk youth. Tickets and tour maps may be picked up at 1101 Officers Row in front of the Grant House on the day of the tour beginning at 11 am. $20 in advance. $25 at the door.

June 11 – Fleur de Lis Festival - Westport Winery, Westport. Enjoy this well-programmed festival including Art in the Vines, local blue cheese samplings, book signings, a belly dance troupe, music, French Onion Soup, grapevines for sale and 5000 blooming iris. And, of course, don’t forget the wonderful wines of Westport Winery, too.

Tasting wine at the Westport Winery

June 11 – The David Lanz Liverpool Trio – The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson. The Skamania Performing Arts Foundation presents pianist David Lanz, flutist Gary Stroutsos, and cellist Walter Gray. The trio most recently came together to perform David’s arrangements from the recording Liverpool…Re-Imagining the Beatles.

David Lanz Liverpool Trio

June 18 – Fort Vancouver Brigade Encampment, Vancouver. See costumed re-enactors demonstrating the annual return of the fur trappers to Fort Vancouver. Hands-on activities in the Fort Vancouver Village just west of the Fort’s stockade, on the trail to the Land Bridge.

Re-enactors at the Fort Vancouver Village in 2010

June 18-19 – 30th Annual NW Garlic Festival – Ocean Park. More than 70 specialty food and craft vendors will offer prepare and use garlic in every imaginable way. As they say, “Just follow your nose” to the festival.

June 19 - Vancouver USA Marathon – Vancouver. It may be too late to start training, or is it?! The event includes a half marathon and welcomes walkers. Vancouver’s first marathon will should be a good one. Produced by Energy Events.

June 24-26 – Rusty Scupper Pirate Daze Festival – Westport. You are going to have to enter the festival Web site to learn about ALL the pirate events. Prepare to read pirate lingo or walk the plank!

Pirates on parade

June 24 – Gorge Blues and Brews Festival Friday Night Waterfront Jam – Skamania County Fairgrounds, Stevenson. The Gorge Blues and Brews Festival kicks off with a Friday night jam. The party starts at 6 pm and the show, featuring local musical talent, begins at 7 pm. Music will include the soulful vocals and driving rhythms of Jackbone Dixie as well as traditional sax blues from The Richard Wilkins Blues Band. Free!

June 25 – Gorge Blues and Brews Festival - Skamania County Fairgrounds, Stevenson. Three blues bands, 16 regional micro-breweries, 8 wineries and food vendors. Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King will be the headliners. Admission is $15 per person and includes your choice of a commemorative beer mug or wine glass. Children 12 and under are free.

Gorge Blues and Brews Festival

June 25-26 – Recycled Arts Festival – Vancouver. One of the most creative events of the year happens in Esther Short Park on the last weekend of June. For a preview, take a look at last year’s Festival, take a look at this ZEST blog post.

Glass garden sculptures at the 2010 Festival

June 24-26 – 75th Annual Egg Day Festival - Winlock. The parade starts at 11 a.m. June 25 with the theme “Egg Days and Diamonds Forever.” The festival will include an Egg Day Run and royalty. Check out this charming video about the World Largest Egg and Winlock.

World's Largest Egg in Winlock