Cruizin’ and cuisine

Car meet carapace this Saturday at Cruizin’ for Crab

By Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

The annual Cruizin’ for Crab event, happening in Waldport on Saturday, Sept. 26, will be bittersweet this year. Mixed in with the fun of ogling souped-up cars both old and new and feasting on crab in its many forms, will be some remembrances of people recently passed.

“The event is honoring three community members that we lost this year who were members of the local crabbing industry,” said Laura Furgurson, executive director of the Waldport Chamber of Commerce. “This gives us the opportunity to honor their memories and also show how important the industry is to us.”

Waldport resident and business owner Bill Ternyila passed away this July.

“Bill owned the Dock of the Bay in Waldport, where people could rent boats, bait and other things crabbing related, and he did a lot of crabbing himself,” Furgurson said. “Everyone loved him and he’ll be very missed.”

Earlier in the year, Kyle and Amber Novelli of Florence were crabbing on the Siuslaw River when the boat they were in overturned. Another person that was onboard with them was able to make it to shore and call for help, but the help arrived too late. They are survived by four children and three grandchildren.

The couple had owned and operated Novelli's Crab & Seafood, located on the docks in Florence.

“One of their sons is carrying on the business,” Furgurson said. “So, we are working with him to honor them.”

Of the things the restaurant was known for, the most famous was its crab chowder, which won first place at all three of the competitions the couple entered it into. The competition-smashing chowder will be served at the event in Pacific Sourdough bread bowls.

“This is a big deal,” Furgurson said. “Their amazing chowder in Pacific Sourdough’s amazing bread is going to be quite the experience.”

If you’d rather cook your own, there will be live or whole cooked fresh Alsea Bay crabs for sale at Cruizin’ for Crab, which will be at a new location this year.

“We still can’t open the visitor center since it’s a state-owned building,” Furgurson said. “So, we are doing it at the Hi-School Pharmacy in the middle of town.”

Open to entries of any era, the cruising part of the event gives people a chance to show off cars, motorcycles, tricked-out trucks or other unique vehicles.

“This is a fun, open-air event for anyone,” Furgurson said. “You can easily socially distance and also eat while checking out the show.”

But this wouldn’t be a true 2020 event without some online options.

“We’re going to keep our Facebook page lively with contests, photos, trivia, recipes, cooking demos and more,” Furgurson said. “We definitely encourage people to participate by posting their favorite recipe, for example. Obviously, we would rather it be crab-related, but if it’s good and you want to share it, go ahead. We just want people to be engaged and have fun.”

Though organizers aren’t forgetting this is an event in part to honor fallen friends, fun is the main theme of the event.

“We’ll also be selling fun crab and car related things like t-shirts, hoodies, mugs and hats,” Furgurson said. “For example, we’ll have some things printed with ‘No crabs allowed, violators will be boiled.’ Fun, silly stuff like that.”

There will be things for kids to enjoy at the event, too.

“We’re going to keep it safe and family friendly,” Furgurson said. “The fire department trucks will be there and some other fun vehicles too. Kids love fire trucks.”

And if you just can’t make it in person but you’ve spent so much time looking at online recipes that your shell is going to crack if you can’t eat some crab right away, check out the deals being offered by local restaurants as part of the event, from Saturday, Sept 26, through the end of the month.

“The restaurants get to choose what they are going to do,” Furgurson said. “We will be posting updates on which ones are participating and what they will offer on our Facebook page.”

Whether you choose to sidle sideways into the event or use your claws to click on the keyboard to participate on social media, cruise in for a fun and meaningful community event.

The Cruizin’ for Crab main event will run from 1 to 4 pm at the Waldport Hi-School Pharmacy, located at 110 SW Hwy. 101.

To enter the car show, email Waldport.chamber@gmail.com or call 541-815-0400.