By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews
YACHATS — The Yachats Commons will be rockin’ this weekend, but don’t look for musicians — the rocks are rolling in with the Yachats Agate Festival which is returning after a two-year pandemic absence.
Almost three dozen vendors will be showcasing gems, minerals, fossils and, of course, agates, as the 10th version of the event takes over much of the Commons. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
“We’ll have some amazing things for people to see and purchase,” said Candi Claussen, organizer of this year’s event. “I’m super excited for everyone to get a chance to talk with our vendors — half of whom have never been in the festival before — to meet with our speakers, and get help identifying coastal rocks and fossils.”
The event – there is no admission charge — will include ticket sales for multiple raffle items, including vendor goods and local shops and restaurants. The drawing will take place at 3:30 p.m. Sunday; winners don’t have to be present to collect. All proceeds will go to the restoration fund for the Little Log Church Museum.
“Our vendors are from all over Oregon, plus California, Utah and Nevada,” said Claussen, who is working with past volunteers to stage this year’s event. “We’ll have a wide variety of items, from driftwoods to minerals, crystals to jewelry — pretty much anything to do with Mother Earth.”
Scheduled speakers/demonstrators are Marli Miller, geologist/photographer/author; William Orr, emeritus professor of geology at the University of Oregon; Kent Gibson, Oregon Coast fossil hunter; and Doug Sestrich, an Oregon State Parks beach ranger addressing beach safety and related topics.
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 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The church is on West Seventh Street just to the west of the Commons.
A full schedule of events is available on the festival’s website.
Past festival committee members “Really wanted it to happen this year, to find someone else to ‘adopt’ it, and they found me,” Claussen said. “I agreed to take it on with their guidance.” Several of those involved in past festivals are working this year as volunteers.
Claussen and her husband, Steve, live in Waldport and run the Big Dog BBQ food truck behind Styx Stones ‘n Bones on West Second Street. They moved to the central coast two years ago from California, where both worked in information technology management.
Questions about the festival can go to Claussen via email to yachatsagatefestival@gmail.com, or via the Facebook page of Big Dog BBQ.
Great news. So grateful for Candi taking on this role.