Shine up your dancing shoes, the musical lineup has been announced for the 34th Annual Harbor Festival, and fans of disco music will be in for a treat.
Set for noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 in the heart of the Embarcadero, the festival is making a major change in duration, location and more.
Instead of being held over two days in the parking lots north of Beach Street, it will be just one day and on the Embarcadero from Harbor to Marina streets, with the main festival — the music, beer and wine vendors — held in the City parking lot at 714 Embarcadero, across from Rose’s Landing. Admission will be free for the back-to-basics festival, which carries the theme “All Things Bay.”
The music lineup will feature headliners, ABBA FAB, a tribute band to the 1970s disco group, ABBA. Three local bands will also perform — Deep Blue, Shameless and Hot Tina — with ABBA FAB taking the stage about 7:15 p.m.
The evening will conclude at dusk with a spectacular fireworks show over the bay, a first for the Harbor Festival.
Festival-goers will be able to buy fresh seafood from local fishermen at a variety of locations along the Embarcadero, including oysters, shrimp, barbecued albacore, and rock crab right off the docks.
There will also be maritime-heritage venues, yacht races in the bay, watercraft demonstrations and boat tours in the Bay. Local wine and beer will be available at the Festival along with a variety of other foods, all from local vendors.
Embarcadero businesses have been encouraged to put their goods out on display and become part of the festival. And ocean-related agencies will provide information about local resources.
Another new major event — a Harbor Festival kick-off golf tournament at Morro Bay Golf Course — is set for Friday, Oct. 2 and hosted by MBGC. The tournament will have a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. with a four-person scramble format. The $75 a person fee includes golf cart, green fees, a variety of tee prizes and lunch. Contact (805) 772-1923 for more information.
Traditional Festival favorites such as The Bay News/Aloha Shirt Shop Hawaiian Shirt Contest and Giovanni’s Fish Market’s, Down-the-Hatch Oyster Eating Contest will also be held that day.
The Festival Committee announced the headline sponsor of the Festival is the Morro Bay Tourism Bureau. Other major sponsors include PG&E, Rabobank, Chevron, Heritage Oaks Bank, Idler’s, Dutchmen’s Seafood House and the Embarcadero Inn.
Media sponsors this year include Tolosa Press, KSBY-TV, the Tribune, and New Times, as well as radio stations KPIG 94.9 FM, the Beach 95.3 and 100.5 FM, 93.7 FM The Rock, and Wild 106 FM.
In the Central Valley, radio stations Energy 95.3 FM of Bakersfield, the Groove 99.3 FM of Bakersfield and KTIP-AM from Porterville, are sponsors of this year’s Festival as well.
As per normal, the Harbor Festival benefits non-profits and this year the organization has chosen to benefit the Central Coast Maritime Museum Association.
Sponsorships are still available at a variety of levels. Call the Festival office at (805) 772-1155 or via email at: [email protected]. For more information about the festival, see the Website at: www.mbhf.com; on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/morrobayharborfestival; and on Twitter at: @MBHarborFest.
