Four-day Forest Festival kicks off today

"Believe in Bunyan and Babe" is the theme of the 80th annual Mason County Forest Festival, which kicked off with the carnival at the intersection of First and Grove streets in downtown Shelton and concludes with fireworks Saturday night above Oakland Bay Junior High School.

The carnival is open from 4 to 9 p.m. today, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

The Goldsborough Creek Fun Run/Walk on Saturday morning features a 7-mile walk, a 7-mile run and a 2-mile run/walk. The Centennial Guild, a chapter of the Mason General Hospital Foundation, has hosted the event since 2009. The proceeds support the festival, a scholarship and an equipment fund in the memory of Kristi Armstrong, a nurse and Guild member.

Saturday's busy lineup continues with Central Mason 5 Firefighters' Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at the station at 122 W. Franklin St. Donations will be accepted for a breakfast of pancakes, sausage, french toast, scrambled eggs, juice and coffee.

The Family & Pet Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on West Railroad Avenue in downtown Shelton. It's immediately followed by the Paul Bunyan Grand Parade.

Much of the parade crowd will then head to Loop Field for the Forest Festival Logging Show, which begins at 1 p.m. Sixteen men and 12 women will compete for championship berths in events such as the springboard chop, single buck, standing block chop and underhand chop.

The Lester Crow Band, the Olson Brothers Band and the Kyle & Darin Band are among the performers at the Rockin the Forest music event from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Our Community Credit Union on Olympic Highway North. Food trucks offer service at the site.

The fireworks show is scheduled to start about 10 p.m. Saturday from the fields at Oakland Bay Junior High School. The parking lots at Walmart and Fred Meyer will provide clear views of the festivities.