Yarmouth Seafest organizers ready to make a splash at 48th festival

The folks from Yarmouth Seafest talk about what visitors can expect at this year's event that’s celebrating life by the sea.

Yarmouth Seafest is returning for its 48th year this summer. The Maritime festival has run each July since 1979.

“We celebrate food, culture and the life of coastal community, being Yarmouth. We have lots and lots of events that take place this coming Friday and always with our Saturday beach day,” says Kathryn Davidson, president of Yarmouth Seafest.

From Friday to July 18, attendees can experience paddle boat races, live nightly entertainment, a scavenger hunt, a lobster boil fundraiser and picnics.

The nine-day festival is gearing up to bring 31 events to the area.

The herring toss is one of the most popular events the festival has to offer, split between groups of adults and children.

“We throw fish, we throw lots of fish. It takes between, I’d say, 160 to 175 pounds of herring between the two events,” says Davidson.

Participants are put in teams of two for the timed event.

“They have to throw fish at each other, try and catch as many fish, but the trick is they also have to get dressed up in Sou’wester gear,” Davidson explains.

Many activities highlight museums in the area, as well as Yarmouth’s waterfront, a lighthouse and a wharf.

“It showcases everything about Yarmouth and the surrounding areas. It’s a very beautiful part of southwestern Nova Scotia, we want to showcase, again, how we all together can collaborate with different groups to put off a really wonderful and fun-filled festival,” says Davidson.

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