South Oregon Coast's Beloved Charleston Seafood Festival Back, June 27

Published 06/15/26 at 9:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Charleston, Oregon) – The beloved food fest is back – in spite of some rough waters in the last three years. (Courtesy photo)

The 2026 Charleston Seafood Festival is coming up fast, returning to the Charleston Visitor Center on Saturday, June 27. After being missing three years, new organizers behind the south Oregon coast stalwart say this year’s event will feature an expanded lineup of seafood vendors, more local flavors, and a full plate of family-friendly activities and entertainment.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to the public, continuing a long-running Charleston tradition built around community, coastal heritage, and fresh seafood.

And the festival’s feast will be significant in bounty. Seafood lovers will have a ball.

7 Devils Brewery and Sea Kitty LLC (Knute Nemeth) will serve food and hand-crafted beer, this year. Sharky’s Charters LLC and Captain John’s Fisherman’s Wharf are donating commercially caught rockfish to the caterer to highlight the quality of Charleston’s local groundfish.

Additional local vendors are joining in to round out the celebration of the community’s seafood roots.

This year’s festival takes place at the Charleston Visitor Center, 91141 Cape Arago Highway in Coos Bay. The center was recently purchased using Transportation and Lodging Tax funds, and organizers point to the event as an example of community partnerships and local investment working together.

Captain John Blanchard, of Captain John’s Fisherman’s Wharf, told Oregon Coast Beach Connection the festival traces its beginnings to 1991, when it was held in the small boat basin parking lot at Charleston Marina.

Photo Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts

“The Charleston Seafood Festival began around 1991, organized by the dedicated members of the Charleston Volunteer Firefighters Association,” said Blanchard. “It quickly became a beloved summer tradition that celebrated the hardworking local fishermen and their families while highlighting the bounty of the season - salmon, tuna, and Dungeness crab.”

Families gathered for fresh seafood, a lively beer garden, live music, and educational exhibits from natural resource agencies. Kids even tried their hand at catching trout from a mobile pond provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. It quickly became a celebration of the region’s fishing culture and coastal way of life.

As the number of active fishing families declined over the years, Blanchard said volunteer support waned, and the Volunteer Firefighters Association eventually stepped back from organizing the event. The festival’s return now marks a renewed effort to bring the community together around its maritime heritage.

“Fast forward to 2026: A newly reinvigorated Charleston Merchants Association, with an entirely new board elected just about a month ago, took on the challenge of reviving this cherished tradition,” he said. “Despite the short timeline, the response from the community has been incredible. Local partners have stepped up enthusiastically.”

It's often been a fairly packed house, and now this new group is counting perhaps even bigger numbers.

“We're aiming for 200–300 attendees to enjoy fresh, locally caught seafood, cold craft beer from 7 Devils, and good times by the water. Live music is still being finalized,” Blanchard said.

Location is 91141 Cape Arago Highway, Coos Bay. https://charlestonoregon.org/seafood-festival.

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