Approximately 1,000 pounds of pork landed in Oak Harbor Friday, ready to become the main course in a free dinner offered to the community.
Scott Fraser walked out of his gourmet downtown restaurant, the aptly-named Frasers, to help Roger Anglum transfer the pork from a Food Services of America delivery truck to a van. The pork was then driven to cold storage where it will stay until it’s time to be cooked up during the Fidalgo Avenue Block Party and Pig Roast Sunday, Aug. 9.
Anglum, well-known for his Smoke Tree Barbecue and other businesses he’s run through the years, will be cooking the pork for the crowd. Last year’s inaugural Fidalgo Avenue event drew more than 1,100 hungry people. “They came out of the woodwork,” Anglum said.
Even more people are expected to crawl out of the woodwork for this year’s event in the downtown Oak Harbor area. Fraser is planning a menu to serve 3,000, including pulled pork and corn, beans, potato salad, pasta salad and cold slaw.
If the crowd grows to more than 3,000 the food supply could run short, so Fraser recommends getting there on time. The event begins at noon and continues to 7 p.m.
A chef who believes in community service, Fraser started the block party last year as a way to say thanks to the community and to raise money for local charities. While dinner is free, a huge, pink piggy bank crafted from a barrel by Bob Crouch is ready to receive donations.
Last year more than $10,000 was raised to assist the Help House food bank in Oak Harbor and the Island County Chapter of the American Red Cross, also based in Oak Harbor. Fraser is hoping to top that amount this year. Numerous businesses help in providing the goods and services needed to pull off such a massive dinner party.
To entice people to stay, there are events to appeal to everyone, including family fun and games, live music and a beer garden. A sidewalk sale and raffle will help fill the piggy bank.
“We’ve got the three best bands on Whidbey Island, all donating their time for a little bit of pork and some beer,” Fraser said. Islanders will be tapping their toes to the sounds of Wood Rush at 12:30 p.m., Johnny Bulldog at 2:30 and Midlife Crisis at 4:30. Feel free to dance if you’re not too full of pork and beans.
