Much Stuffing of Faces at S. Oregon Coast's Blackberry Arts Festival, Coos Bay

Published 8/21/24 at 4:25 p.m.
By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – From an informal salon of painters to thousands of people hitting one south Oregon coast town, this one has seen some changes.

These days, you could say it's the arts festival so good you could “just eat it up.” (Above: Coos Bay, courtesy Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts)

What started in '81as a rather laidback way to celebrate the artwork created by a handful of locals has blossomed into one of the major festivals of the south Oregon coast. Coos Bay's Blackberry Arts Festival is now ripe and ready to go, happening August 24 and 25 – this week – and turning a small corner of town into a big to-do.

It all began in '80 or '81 – that's still up for debate – as a small group of colleagues put together in intimate, outdoor art salon of sorts at the Coos Bay Mall where artists brought out their easels and painted on the spot. Over time, it combined with the celebration of the Coos Bay-area's vibrant black blackberry scene, coinciding with the harvest that happens right about now.

Through these last 40 years, it's grown to include over 100 artists at times.

The Blackberry Arts Festival boasts a wide array of artisan-made lovelies, like jewelry, metalwork, hand-painted clothing, wine, carved wood, quilts, and candles – all available for sale. One of the original tenets of the festival was that artists demonstrate their wares being created live during the event.

There's also tons of food, with the Street Fair and Vendors open on Central Ave. on Saturday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The whole thing is free and happens in the heart of downtown, with juried arts and crafts as well as lots of live music. In short, it's an all-around sensory experience: a feast for the eyes, ears and your palate.

Once again, the town hosts what is now the fourth annual “It’s All Berry Good” recipe contest. Recipes accepted until 10 a.m. on Saturday August 24 and the winners names will be announced no later than 2 p.m. Prize awards will be made at 2:00 p.m. at the Elks.

The south Oregon coast tradition was shut down two years in a row due to COVID, but returned in '22 to the delight of many.

Coos Bay, courtesy Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts

Some of the state's most stellar blackberries grow this area, especially the Coquille River Valley. In fact, there's a certain species that grows here that's rather coveted, a variety that was honored and recognized decades ago. Numerous spots around Coos Bay host wild blackberry bushes to pick from, you just have to be aware which have been sprayed and find the vines not exposed to road dust. See more on the event

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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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