Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Southern Cortes Community Association (SCCA) estimate 500 people may have turned out for Cortes Day on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
Mike Manson, whose great uncle and grandfather were among the island’s first known European settler, remembers there were once two festivals.
“I was pretty young, probably eight or nine. Historically, it was called ‘the barbecue’ and it was held in July. In August, at Manson’s Spit, they had what they called ‘the fiesta.’ My recollection is they were similar events, they both had food. I think there were games at the barbecue. I don’t remember games at the fiesta, it was more food.”
On July 1, 1954, the SCCA held a ‘picnic’ which cleared $78.50 after expenses. The club’s minutes state that a carton of cigarettes, 20ibs of sugar and 10ibs of coffee were given out as prizes.
The name ‘Cortes Day’ may have made its historical debut in connection to a picnic held the following year. One of the photographs in the Cortes Island Museum archives A shows a group of people watching the log bucking contest at ‘Cortes Island Day’ in July 1955.
Cortes Day used to be run by the SCCA and WCC, who shared costs and revenues. This was discontinued sometime prior to the WCC Board meeting of April 20, 1971, when the SCCA offered to reactivate the old arrangement. The two clubs appear to have joined forces that year because the remainder of the meeting was largely taken up by preparations, but this was not a lasting partnership.
The WCC continued to take part in later festivals, but not as organizers. The Cortes Day most of us know is organized by the SCCA, ‘with much collaboration from the community, vendors and other organizations.’
Cortes Currents asked a few of the older community members for their memories of Cortes Days past and was immediately directed to Bruce Ellingsen. He shared some memories from the 1950s.
