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New twinning agreement pushes festivals in Esquimalt and Port Angeles

Esquimalt and Port Angeles come together for Ribfest and Crabfest
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Mayor Barb Desjardins and Esquimalt Ribfest chair Tom Woods raise the Port Angeles flag above Esquimalt Recreation Centre on Thursday in a cross-promotion of Ribfest and Crabfest.

Esquimalt Ribfest meet Port Angeles Crabfest.

The two municipalities have come to a new twinning agreement to support each other's festival starting with the this weekend's rib festival.

Crabfest, also known as the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival, is ranked as one of the best seafood festivals inb the United States. It's held every October.

Esquimalt put down the welcome mat for Crabfest Thursday when it flew Port Angeles flag at Esquimalt Recreation Centre over the weekend. Port Angeles will return the favour during Crabfest, Oct. 10-12.

“(Port Angeles) approached us about this arrangement,” said Tom Woods, chair of Esquimalt Ribfest.

“They've benefited for so long from Canadians going there for Crabfest they wanted to return the favour. It's about cross promotion.”

Woods expects more than 150 “official guests” from Port Angeles to visit Esquimalt this weekend for Ribfest.

Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins said the twinning offers the potential for the rib festival to draw a much bigger audience and put the township in a positive light.

“It's only going to benefit both these festivals,” Desjardins said.

Port Angeles deputy mayor Patrick Downie said the twinning project is about building a relationship between the two communities.

“It's highly important to market and promote this region together,” he said.