Need a little help getting through 'The Big Dark'? Soundside has your weekend covered

We're headed into the last leg of "The Big Dark" — that time of year when you just want to nestle inside, hang out on your couch, cling to your seasonal affective disorder lamp, and wait for the return of warmth, daylight and sunshine.

But we've almost made it through! You can sense spring if you know where to look.

Why not get a head start on emerging back into everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer by checking out some local events?

This month, we have a couple recommendations to help you get through the tail end of the "The Big Dark."

First up, spring is so close you can practically taste it.

Celebrate the bold, briny, and blue

Head to Coupeville for the Penn Cove Musselfest this weekend, March 4-5.

"I had never has a mussel until I moved to Coupeville," festival co-chair Kellie Sites said. "The beauty of mussels is that they really absorb the flavors that they're cooked in, so if they're cooked in white wine and garlic and onions, they'll have that flavor."

Needless to say, if you're planning to check out Musselfest, bring your appetite. Sites says there will be plenty of food vendors to check out, and there'll be chefs from Seattle and Whidbey Island crafting dishes like paella.

You can even take a boat tour and see the Penn Cove Mussel Farm, which Sites notes is something that's only possible at this time of year.

Ticket and event information can be found on their website, PennCoveMusselFestival.com

The sounds of Spring

Maybe shellfish isn't your thing. How about taking in the sounds of Spring?

Consider heading to Othello for the 25th annual Sandhill Crane Festival, March 24-26.

If that weekend doesn't fit your schedule, no worries — you can make your way to Othello at any point this month — because any day now, an estimated 35,000 Sandhill cranes will descend on this city in the heart of the Columbia Basin on their way to Alaska.

For a brief period of time, the cranes will actually outnumber local residents.

"Our in-city population is about 8,000 to 9,000 [people], and then counting outside of the city, maybe up to 12. So we're talking like three cranes to every one person," festival co-coordinator Jenn Stevenson said. "And they're very loud. Everybody knows when they're here, they have a very distinct call."

Sandhill cranes are large —they stand at about four feet tall — and they have a wing span of six to eight feet. Festival co-chair Chris Braunwart said it's fun to go out and watch the cranes play with each other and even court potential mates.

But don't let their playful nature fool you — these birds are not your friends.

"The best way to see them is really from your car," Braunwart said. "You're out on the country roads, the gravel roads. And when you go by a cornfield, you can stop. You do not want to get out of your car and try to get near them because they will fly off, and they're here to refuel and rest."

There's still lots to do during the festival weekend when you're not pulling over to peek at the cranes. This year's lineup features hiking, a photography workshop, bike tours, and lectures. The point is to get visitors to not just witness the Sandhill cranes, but interact with the community and nature that make Othello.

Tickets and the event lineup can be found at OthelloSandhillCraneFestival.org

Dig for secondhand gems

Maybe you're waiting for temperatures to rise just a little bit longer before you embrace the great outdoors again.

While you wait, maybe your hibernation den could use some new stuff?

Before you pull out your phone and start shopping from your e-commerce company of choice, consider a stop to Thriftapalooza, a secondhand market happening at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup, March 25-26.

Thriftapalooza co-founder Jennifer Ngyuen said the event wasn't just born out of her interest in thrifting, it was also sparked by her desire to bring communities together for the sake of sustainability, and teaching people about conscious consumerism.

"I just feel like with thrifting, you find really cool pieces made 20, 30 years ago," Ngyuen said. "It's just so cool to find a vintage sweater that was from 30 years ago, or a dress or a candelabra or something. There's just so many cool things from the past that are still around today."

And besides the environmental benefits of shopping secondhand, Ngyuen said the thrill that comes with the hunt for a coffee table, a perfect vintage satin jacket, or a knick knack that reminds you of your childhood can be enough to get you through the drizzly days of March, too.

Tickets and vendor information can be found at Thriftapalooza.org