OCEAN PARK — It’s time to plan summer and early fall celebrations. The Ocean Park Area Chamber of Commerce invites the public to join the fun through volunteering, participating as a vendor or attending.

The first event on the chamber’s calendar is the July 4th Community Picnic held at Sheldon Park across from the Ocean Park Elementary School. Organizers have taken many of the activities enjoyed by those attending parades in the past and incorporated them into this new Independence Day event. Just to be clear, there will be no parade this year.

Instead, the chamber invites the community to BYOP — Bring Your Own Picnic — gather with friends and family and partake in an Old Fashioned Picnic in the park. This is not a “commercial” affair — there are no vendors or food carts at the event. Promoters will be selling raffle tickets for some really fun and exciting prizes and a picnic recipe booklet containing favorites sent in by attendees with a portion of the proceeds donated to local nonprofits or student programs. However, if making picnic food is not your thing, the chamber suggests talking to local grocers, delis and dining establishments to pre-order a boxed lunch to pick up.

The joy of a picnic is that all the food is made ahead of time. Once you pack it up, all you have to do is spread it out and enjoy — but plan to leave grills at home as they cannot be lit up on the field. Also best left at home are your four-legged friends. People will be spreading picnic blankets and quilts on the grass and curious noses or uninvited “special ingredient sprinkles” are not very appetizing.

So it’s fried chicken time, towering sandwiches, potato and macaroni salads, your favorite cookies and pickled, well, just about anything. And these are the exact categories included in the recipe booklet. Send in your recipes by June 1st to be included! Choose up to two of the five categories: Fried chicken, two handed classics, salads, cookies, and pickled anything. Then send your recipe(s) with all the measured ingredients and directions, your name and town and contact information to: OPACC – Picnic, PO Box 403, Ocean Park, WA 98640. You may also email to: opchamber@opwa.com, or drop your entry at the chamber office: 1715 Bay Ave., Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

The 4th of July Community Picnic will be held on the 4th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a children’s parade during the event. Children up to age 12 are encouraged to dress up in 4th of July style and follow the leader as they wind through the picnickers. There will also be an award for the best decorated picnic area. Time to let your red, white and blue really shine. The Pickle Ball group will be doing demonstrations and a possible open mike situation may be included as well as a friendly Corn Hole Challenge. Organizers hope all locals and visitors will enjoy the picnic as we celebrate the 4th together.

NW Garlic Festival

The next big event is the 40th NW Garlic Festival and Garlic Festival Poster Contest. The festival is on Sept. 17 and 18, and will be held at the May West Pavilion Park at the Port of Peninsula. Vendor registration for this event has just opened. All the information about being one of the festival participants can be found at opwa.com/northwest-garlic-festival. You may also either email the chamber or drop by the office for the vendor packets (see contact information above). Deadline to register is Aug. 12 or until the roster is full.

The 40th NW Garlic Festival Poster Contest is underway. All the information to enter is on the same web page as the vendor information provided above. The poster contest deadline is Aug. 2 and entries must be dropped off at the Chamber office.

Of course, in order to sail (and not sink), the chamber need a little help from friends. Volunteers are how things happen and there are small and large tasks to share before, during and after the actual event. Plus, it is a great way to meet others living here. Please consider volunteering. A quick call to 360-665-4448 or email to the chamber office will find you a match for your time and interests.

Mark your calendars for these events and call the OPACC office with any questions on how to help.