The picturesque coastal town of Yachats, Oregon is gearing up for its “Sixth Ever” Agate Festival, to be held Saturday and Sunday, January 14th and 15th 2017 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the weekend of the Martin Luther King three-day holiday. The event is free.
Dubbed the “Gem of the Oregon Coast”, Yachats is internationally known for its natural beauty, including the treasures uncovered by winter storms and winds, making January a prime time for agate hunting. Nearly 30 vendors from throughout the state as well as from Washington and Northern California will be on hand to display and sell rough specimens and finished artistic creations of minerals, gems, crystals, and fossils. The show will take place at the Yachats Commons, located at Highway 101 and West 4th Street in the heart of town. In addition, there will be speakers, demonstrations, and fun things to do for all ages.
On Saturday, January 14th at 11:00 a.m., Marli Miller, a geological sciences faculty member at the University of Oregon since 1997, will speak. She is a geologist, photographer and author of the new second edition of Roadside Geology of Oregon. Her work showcases the state’s splendor while also helping enthusiasts understand geologic processes at work. She will be available to sign her book at the Agate Festival.
Saturday, at 1:30 p.m.will be Beach Booty 101, offered by Ranger Cameron (also known as Ranger “Clameron”, because of his knowledge of clam digging in this area). He has been an enthusiast of beach rock-hounding for more than 12 years. He is an Oregon Park Ranger who has given many talks for kids of all ages on treasures you can find on the beach – agates and much more.
The speaker on Sunday, January 15th: at 11:00 a.m. will be Chris Landau, who is a geologist trained in South Africa, and has linked dowsing to geology for many years. He has used geology and dowsing to find water wells, as well as creating geological maps, geomagnetic maps, and aerial photographs. He understands how and why the dowsing rod works for almost everybody. He moved to Florence in 2015, and offers dowsing classes in places such as Cook’s Chasm and Thor’s Well.
Guy DiTorrice, well known locally as “The Oregon Fossil Guy”, will speak on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Passionate about the treasures that can be found literally under our feet, he conducts fossil finding tours along the central Oregon coast. He’s an engaging speaker who appeals to audiences of all ages.
For the first time there will be a special display of fluorescent minerals, whose vibrant colors are only visible under ultra violet light.
The festival will be offering three separate drawings for valuable baskets of fine prizes from many local merchants. Proceeds from the raffle will be contributed to the Yachats Fire Department, and will be dedicated toward the purchase of needed equipment.
Since the festival began in 2012 the January event has been a big success, drawing visitors from throughout the northwest and beyond. Merchants, restaurants and lodging providers enjoy participating in the weekend activities.
