BY CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews
YACHATS — You can get up close to rock stars — and even take some home with you — when the Yachats Agate Festival fills the Commons this weekend for its 11th year.
From agates to gems, fossils to jewelry, the festival offers not just displays and merchandise, but demonstrations and expert speakers, as well. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, almost three dozen vendors will showcase their geologic passions and their wares, inside the Commons building and the Pavilion behind it.
“We had over 4,500 people attend last year,” said festival chair Candi Claussen of Waldport, basing the estimate on the number of fliers handed out. “With the crowds we expect this year, plus vendors, speakers and live demonstrations, we had to extend the festival into the Pavilion.”
As rockhounds know, agates are semiprecious stones in the quartz family. They come in several varieties and are the banded form of the mineral chalcedony.
“Everybody was super excited about last year’s festival,” Claussen said, since it marked the event’s return after a two-year pandemic absence. “There’ll be something for everyone, from little kids to big kids to adults, from collectors to crafters to those who want to learn more about Mother Earth.”
Admission to the entire festival is free. Tickets will be on sale for multiple raffle items from local shops, restaurants and vendors.
Winners don’t have to be present to collect their prizes, which will be drawn at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the Pavilion. All proceeds this year will go to the Cape Perpetua Collaborative for its work in fostering conservation through scientific research and educational stewardship.
Rocks, talks and demos
“There will be vendors on hand from California, Washington and Oregon,” says Claussen. She and her husband, Steve, run the Big Dog BBQ food truck on West Second Street. Merchandisers will be offering a variety of rock-related items, including rock specimens, jewelry, art, clay sculptures, petrified wood, beading supplies and home goods.
Talks and demonstrations will take place in the Civic meeting room, inside the Commons east entrance. Scheduled presenters are:
- Ricky Ede, 11:30 a.m. Saturday on “’What happens when lava meets the sea?” A San Jose State University master’s student, Ede will speak on the fiery formation of Cape Foulweather, Yaquina Head and Depoe Bay.
- Marli Miller, 1:30 p.m. Saturday. An earth sciences faculty member at the University of Oregon since 1997, Miller is a geologist, photographer and author of Roadside Geology of Oregon;
- Doug Sestrich, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. A central coast beach Rrnger for eight years, he has worked for Oregon State Parks for almost 20 years. He’ll speak on beach safety, plus tips for beginner agate hunters.
In addition, the Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, also known as the Church of the Agate Windows, will offer a visit to its six large panels of agates in the church sanctuary. The story behind the windows will be explored in brief talks from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday at the church on West Seventh St. to the northwest of the Commons.
The list of vendors and schedule of events is available on the festival’s website. Questions can go to Claussen via email to yachatsagatefestival@gmail.co, or via the festival’s Facebook page.