Oregon Coast Holiday Weekend: Kite Fest and Mysterious Shipwreck

Published 05/11/2016 at 6:11 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Rockaway Beach, Oregon) – Two wildly engaging but incredibly different events take place on the north Oregon coast on Memorial Weekend. One will take you on a mind-bending journey through recent discoveries of new shipwrecks in this region, while another lets you take flight on the beach. Rockaway Beach hosts its massive kite festival and a history lecture in Seaside features some intriguing finds – over a glass of microbrew beer.

The 39th Annual Rockaway Beach Kite Festival is a hugely popular event, returning on May 27 to 30. It draws professional and amateur kite flyers from around the U.S., which then finishes with a Memorial Day Celebration on Monday and a salute to veterans.

The event offers contests in a friendly environment. Participants can compete to win awards for nicest kite, the kite that drags on the ground the longest before becoming airborne, and many other events. Children can join in the fun as they build and learn to fly small kites during special classes.

Kite enthusiasts are also encouraged to bring their own kites to fly. In addition to the awe-inspiring kites of all sizes, the festival also features live music, kite exhibitions, vendors and artisans, and tasty meals all weekend.

Sponsored by the American Kitefliers Association (ATA), the Rockaway Beach Kite Festival hosts professional and amateur kite fliers. As the largest organized group of kiters in the world, the ATA travels all over to spread the joy of kiting to people of all ages and skills. It all takes place at the Rockaway Beach Wayside, South 1st Street, Rockaway Beach, Oregon. www.rockawaybeach.net/events/kite-festival

Then in Seaside, the Thursday just before the weekend gets underway features a History & Hops free local history lecture, happening at 6 p.m. on May 26, at Seaside Brewing Co. (851 Broadway, Seaside).

Jerry Ostermiller will share A Tale of Two Shipwrecks: Underwater Archaeology on the Most Dangerous Bar which introduces a 1989 discovery of a mysterious shipwreck near Sand Island at the mouth of the Columbia River.

Underwater archaeology in extreme environments is inherently difficult. The Columbia River Maritime Museum and the National Park Service’s Cultural Resource Dive Team initially identified this ship as the Hudson’s Bay Company Supply Vessel Isabella. Over the next 18 years, Ostermiller conducted annual monitoring dives for the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office which produced new information requiring further study, leading to a different shipwreck identity. This shipwreck has become a national case study and was featured in a National Geographic Society TV production illustrating the value of new “CSI-type” technologies.

Jerry Ostermiller is an award-winning historian specializing in underwater archaeology. He is a Master Diver and a founding member of the Maritime Archaeology Society and the Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council. He served as the executive director of the Columbia River Maritime Museum for 20 years. 503-738-7065. Oregon Coast Hotels for these events - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours. More on Seaside and Rockaway Beach below:

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