Antique Week Morphs Into Lincoln City Retro Expo, with 100 Floats on Central Oregon Coast Beaches

Published 02/04/25 at 5:49 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – One of the larger, expansive festivals of the Oregon coast has reset itself and rebranded. Lincoln City has turned the beloved Antique and Collectibles Week into the newly revamped Lincoln City Retro Expo, going digital to some degree. Ten days of retro fun and finds now have a digital adventure, the Vintage Voyage Passport, set to launch in February. Both initiatives aim to solidify Lincoln City's reputation as the Oregon coast's top spot for antiques, vintage collectibles, and thrifted treasures. (Photos courtesy Explore Lincoln City)

The Retro Expo will take place February 8-17, 2025.

On top of it, there's a lot of retro Japanese-style floats involved. They'll be dropping 100 of them. While not the actual old-style floats that once populated Oregon beaches (those have become rather rare), they are beautiful facsimiles.

Originally conceived in 1991 by June Minor, founder of the historic Rocking Horse Mall, the Antique & Collectibles Week has now evolved into the Retro Expo. This event offers a nostalgic celebration of cherished artifacts and keepsakes. Established in 1965, when the five historic towns of Oceanlake, Taft, Cutler City, DeLake, and Nelscott merged, Lincoln City today boasts the largest antique mall on the Oregon coast. The Little Antique Mall features over 80 dealers, complemented by numerous vintage shops and boutiques throughout the historic districts.

The ten-day Retro Expo will showcase a wide array of vintage and antique experiences throughout Lincoln City. Visitors can explore treasures and collectibles at local antique shops, vintage boutiques, and used bookstores, including the iconic Robert's Bookshop and newly established vintage retailers. An event map listing all participating shops and bookstores can be found online.

“The event will feature thrifting adventures, special sales, and a themed Finders Keepers 'drop' where 100 Japanese antique-style glass floats will be hidden along the city's seven miles of public beach, from Roads End on the north to Siletz Bay to the south,” said organizers. “Floats will be placed above the high tide line and below the beach embankment – if someone finds a float, it's all theirs.”

Lincoln City has instituted some sweeping changes with Retro Expo, said Kim Cooper Findling, director of Explore Lincoln City.

"In 2025, we're expanding our focus to include vintage boutiques alongside traditional antique shops, creating an even more dynamic treasure-hunting experience," she said." The launch of the Vintage Voyage Passport will provide engaging opportunities for people to participate via interactive check-ins year-round."

Inside the Ocean Lake Pavillion, the area's dancehall that later became Rocking Horse Antiques

The Vintage Voyage Passport joins Lincoln City's popular collection of Adventure Passports, which currently includes the Art Trail, Tap & Brew Trail, and Hiking Trails Passport. This new digital guide will help visitors navigate Lincoln City's antique shops and vintage boutiques, offering a curated journey through the city's most cherished vintage and antique shopping destinations.

For more information, visit Lincoln City's official website.

Here's how the Vintage Voyage Passport works:

Sign up online: Use the checkout here (link to go live by Feb 8th) to sign up for this free passport. There is no app to download.

Explore the passport: This mobile-exclusive passport is a collection of curated shops and boutiques to explore during your stay.

Redeem: When visiting a participating location, visitors should simply check in using their phone's built in GPS.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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