Axe-citement Awaits! Mason County Forest Festival Brings the Fun with Parades, Pancakes, and Prevention
By Rachel Hansen | Photos courtesy of Explore Hood Canal
Thursday May 29th, 2025, marks the official start of Mason County Forest Festival with a full-scale fun center on 1st Street running through Sunday, June 1. On Friday, May 30th from 4 - 8 PM KMAS Family Fun Night THIS Friday. Come hang out with Forest Festival, KMAS radio, and Explore Hood Canal in the Civic Center Parking Lot at 425 West Cota Street, Shelton. with food trucks, fire safety, wildfire prevention activities and giveaways as well as touch a truck fun and axe throwing.
May is designated as National Wildfire Awareness Month, a time to focus on education and preparedness for wildfires, which are particularly prevalent during warmer, drier weather. This awareness campaign aims to reduce the risk of wildfires and protect communities by encouraging proactive measures. With its roots in forest fire prevention, it’s fitting that the festival dedicates an evening of free family fun at the KMAS block party to celebrate wildfire awareness.
Events For the Whole Family, All Weekend Long!
Early Saturday, May 31, the streets of Shelton fill with runners as Mason General launches its annual Goldborough Creek Run. Followed by a pancake breakfast at the local forestation, the streets will once again be filled with families setting up to watch the 2025 Paul Bunyan Grand Parade at 11 AM. Enjoy over 75 parade entries — including floats and displays, animals, and decorated logging trucks and forestry equipment. After the parade, families head to nearby Loop Field to enjoy a logging competition and vendors as well as a giant rubber duck drop with prizes. In the evening the celebration moves uptown for live music, dancing and a spectacular sunset fireworks show set to music on the local radio station, KMAS 1030 AM / FM103.3 as the sun sets.
The fun continues Sunday with more vendors, a ten-block car show. The parades in early years attracted as many as 30,000 people from all over the region to Shelton to see — in the words of an early press report — “the dramatic Forest Pageant, the thrilling parade and the exciting contests in which loggers demonstrate their skills at falling, bucking, tree topping and truck driving.”
To view the full Mason County Forest Festival Schedule including Sunday’s car show and the Royalty Court Tea in July, check out the 2025 Event Program online or visit www.masoncountyforestfestival.com
