Penn Cove Musselfest Returns to Coupeville for 40th Anniversary March 6-8, 2026

Mussel Farm Boat Tours will run throughout Saturday and Sunday during Penn Cove Musselfest in historic downtown Coupeville March 6–8, 2026, offering 45-minute trips guided by Penn Cove Shellfish and priced at $20 for ages six and up, with reduced pricing for younger children. The weekend marks the festival’s 40th anniversary and returns to Coupeville’s waterfront for a program that mixes ticketed experiences and free community activities.

The Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association hosts the festival, and proceeds support the association’s mission to preserve, promote, and strengthen the town’s historic downtown district. Organizers say the event is powered by more than 200 volunteers and a wide network of local sponsors, and Windermere Whidbey notes that every spring thousands of visitors typically flock to the waterfront for the weekend.

Program highlights include the Mussel Tussle cooking competition, an exclusive Mussel Mingle, chef demonstrations, live music, an artisan vendor marketplace, and waterfront beer garden experiences. Family programming includes children’s crafts and free activities at the Island County Historical Museum, where kids can use a climbing wall courtesy of YMCA Camp Casey, a new festival sponsor this year. Over 30 Coupeville businesses are participating in a scavenger hunt with prizes, and the Coupeville Library and Whidbey Island Bank will host Musselfest displays.

Ticketing runs from free options up to about $50 depending on the event, with specific sessions ticketed separately. “Mussel Farm Boat Tours run throughout Saturday and Sunday,” and “Tickets are $20 for ages six and up, with reduced pricing for younger children,” organizers note for the tours. Nine local restaurants are participating in the chowder tasting, and tickets to the session taking place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday are still available. Shuttle and parking support will be available throughout Coupeville; the festival is described as dog-friendly and weather-flexible.

Krista Fleming, serving as Musselfest producer for the first time, said she is “honored” to be a part of 40 years of Musselfest and that “I’m really excited to contribute to my community in this way.” With the festival one week out, Fleming said, “So now, it’s just executing.”

Penn Cove’s mussels are a longtime draw, Penn Cove is identified as the oldest mussel farm in the United States and the event repeatedly highlights the region’s world-famous mussels. Organizers direct prospective attendees to the official Penn Cove Musselfest website for the full schedule and ticket information. Musselfest returns to celebrate local shellfish, support Coupeville’s waterfront preservation, and drive weekend business across the town March 6–8, 2026.