Wooden Boats Take Over Central Oregon Coast's Toledo in August

Published 07/26/23 at 5:41 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Toledo, Oregon) – If you're in a mood to bag all that is digital and maybe even prefabricated, little Toledo, Oregon may just have the ticket on August 19 - 20. On those days, the central Oregon coast burgh just east of Newport brings out the Wooden Boat Show, hosting live music as well as a wide range of wooden watercraft. From canoes to kayaks are featured, with the annual festival bringing back events like the Family Boat Building, Poker Paddle, Kid’s Toy Boat Building, and Saturday’s Cardboard Boat Race.

You'll find informational and historical exhibits that showcase the maritime world, along with artist booths and even a silent auction. All of it takes place at the Port of Toledo's Waterfront Park and Marina on Depot Slough, a mere one block from Toledo's Main Street. Show hours are Saturday 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. See https://www.portoftoledo.org/wooden-boat-show for more information and the full event schedule.

The main stage at Waterfront Park Pavilion hosts a wide variety of tunes: a celloist, rock, blues, and reggae groups from the northwest all converge in the cool near-ocean breezes. Bands include Highway 9, Acoustic Minds, Glitter Fox, Christopher Worth & Co, Sonny Hess, and Petro World Citizen. The music schedule is on the Port’s website: https://www.portoftoledo.org/2023festival-schedule

One of the highlights is always Cardboard Boat Race, promising to be rousing again this year. Amateur cardboard boat builders from the Oregon coast region will challenge each other to win prizes for the best design and then race to determine the fastest and most water worthy vessel. There is also a prize for the Most Spectacular Sinking. Contestants should contact the Port Office at 541-336-5207 to coordinate pickup of cardboard boat starter kits and registration packets, rules are on the Port’s website: https://www.portoftoledo.org/containerboard-boat-contest. Join the fun by building a boat, or cheer for the brave boat builders on their initial and only voyage at 1:00 pm on Saturday.

Another favorite of the famed Oregon coast festival is the family boat building event. Volunteers from the Toledo Community Boathouse instruct families on constructing their own 8’ pram, an Elegant Punt, over the two days of the festival. The public gets to watch the progress of boat builders and then give the new boat owners a send-off for their maiden voyage on Sunday afternoon.

There's even some pirate themes – which also means dressing your dog as a pirate.

Bring your well-behaved dog, dressed in their best pirate attire for this year’s new attraction. The dog pageant begins on Sunday the 20th at 2 pm.

Kids activities include Kids Boat Building, shooting potato cannons with pirates, and putt-putt golf. The Toledo Chamber of Commerce will present a Pancake Breakfast each morning at the pavilion with additional food vendors offering tasty treats.

The Port of Toledo wishes to thank its major sponsors for their support of the free community event: Georgia Pacific, Northwest Natural Gas, Oregon Coast Bank, Traditional Small Craft Association, Englund Marine, and Federal Relations. portoftoledo.org/wooden-boat-show or call 541-336-5207.

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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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