By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews
YACHATS — The Yachats Agate Festival rolls into its 12th big year this weekend with two buildings full of rocks, expert talks and demonstrations.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 18-19, there’ll be a mother lode of agates, gems, fossils crystals and jewelry on display and for sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in both the Commons and the Yachats Lions Hall.
Some 30 vendors will showcase their geologic wares, while experts in earth sciences share their knowledge. Kids of all ages can learn about wire-wrapping, take home stones and fossils and even play Frisbee golf.
“Whether you’re a little kid, a big kid or an adult, there’ll be something to find, something to make you smile,” said festival chair Candi Claussen. Upwards of 700 people attended last year’s festival, which is traditionally held on the three-day Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend.
Agates — semi-precious stones in the quartz family — are the stars of the free event, which will also feature 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 4:15 p.m. at the Lions Hall. All proceeds this year will go to Seashore Family Literacy at DaNoble House in Waldport. The 32-year-old organization works to help children, adults and families improve skills in reading, writing, math, computers and communication.
Vendors, all from Oregon, will be offering a wide range of rock-related items, including rock specimens, jewelry, art, petrified wood, crystals, clay sculptures and home décor goods.
“It’s a family fun atmosphere, with such a variety of items centered around Mother Earth … and the speakers offer a wealth of knowledge,” Claussen said. She and her husband, Steve, run the Big Dog BBQ food truck on West Second Street.
Tidepools, lava and geology
Expert talks and some demonstrations will take place in the Commons’ civic meeting room inside the east entrance. Scheduled presenters are:
- Jamie Kish, 11 a.m. Saturday on “Learn all about tide pooling ins and outs.” Kish is a tidepool ambassador coordinator with the Cape Perpetua Collaborative, a naturalist and photographer.
- Marli Miller, 11 a.m. Sunday, on “Volcanoes to sea stacks: geology and context of Oregon’s Cape Perpetua area.” An earth sciences faculty member at the University of Oregon since 1997, Miller is a geologist, photographer and author of Roadside Geology of Oregon.
- Ricky Ede, 1 p.m. Sunday on “Backyard Basalt”, exploring how lava flows formed Depoe Bay and Seal Rock 17 million years ago. Ede graduated from San Jose State University, where he completed his master’s thesis studying ancient lava flows on the Oregon coast.
In addition, the Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, also known as the Church of the Agate Windows, will offer visits Saturday 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 Lions Hall, visitors can see demonstrations of wire-wrapping, as well as play Frisbee golf and courtesy of Yachats retailer Styx, Stones ‘n Bones, take away dinosaur-shaped molds of stones and fossils.
For the full festival schedule and list of vendors, visit the festival’s website. Questions can go to Claussen via email at yachatsagatefestival@gmail.com or via the festival’s Facebook page.
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