Fish `N Ships
A row-mantic tradition continues in Pacific City
By Eliot Sekuler
For the TODAY
Photos by Sandy Weedman
The boats are hauled on trailers to the shore at the corner of Cape Kiwanda Beach, in the shadow of the shoreline’s towering 240-foot sand dune. They’re sturdy, flat-bottomed vessels and on any day with decent ocean conditions, they’re launched at daybreak, shoved through the surf by the dorymen (and dorywomen) and returning in early afternoon, laden with rockfish, salmon, crab and tuna. Renowned for their seaworthiness, they’ve become an icon for Pacific City and the centerpiece for the town’s signature event, the colorful Dory Days celebration, held annually and set this year for Friday, July 15, through Sunday July 17.
Recognized by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department as one of only 21 Oregon Heritage Traditions, Dory Days brings area residents and many visitors together for three days of marine-themed festivities, including a parade, fish fry, dory boat display and an artisan fair. In addition to those official events, the town’s celebratory mood is enhanced with more informal socializing.
“It’s a real holiday for the town,” said Dawn Beyer, a Pacific City resident who doubles as a barkeep at the local watering hole the Sportsman’s Pub-n-Grub, and as a popular yoga teacher. “Everybody is celebrating together. There are little pop-up parties all over town and the commotion goes on all weekend.”
This year’s parade will be themed “Stars and Stripes” and will begin at 11 am on Saturday at Bob Straub State Park’s county boat launch. A long line of boats, floats, equestrians and musical troupes will snake through the town on the way to the endpoint at Chester’s Market on Brooten Road, site of the artisan fair and near the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association dory boat display adjacent to the fire station.
According to Kimberley Williams, a Tillamook Bay Community College writing instructor who serves as Dory Days parade chair, 44 boats participated in last year’s parade and this year’s post-pandemic event promises to expand on that number. Seemingly, half the town takes part in the action.
“In addition to the dorymen, we’ll have participants from the US Forest Service, the sheriff's department, the fire department, our Dory Princesses and the Tillamook County Rodeo Queens,” she said. “We’ll also have camels.”
The camels will be moonlighting from their day jobs of ferrying tourists on beach rides.
Fish-themed trophies, designed by local artist Aimee O’Will, will be presented prior to the parade’s kickoff and awarded in five categories: “Best Use of Theme,” “Best Use of Humor,” “Dorymen’s Choice,” “People’s Choice” and “Sponsors’ Choice.”
New features at this year’s event include a 1927 vintage calliope, once used to herald the arrival of the circus through Eastern Oregon towns. A more modern addition is the participation of the character “Sulley,” the good-natured beast from the hit Pixar animation “Monsters, Inc.” Grand Marshals for this year’s parade are family members of the late dory fisherman Craig Wenrick, who will lead the parade in the Wenrick family boat, the Sea Q.
The fish fry, featuring dory-caught fish, takes place on Saturday at the Kiawanda Community Center from 11 am to 5 pm and is open to the public for a modest charge.
Dory Days was created by the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association in 1959 as “The Dory Derby.” According to the association, its purpose was to “celebrate the rich history of the dory fleet.”
“They used to have races, rowing the old traditional double-enders to Haystack Rock and back,” said Williams, referring to the traditional double-bowed boats that have mostly been replaced with the advent of square-stern vessels powered by outboard motors. “They also had a fish filleting contest to see who could clean their fish the fastest. And it all used to take place down at the Cape. Nowadays, Dory Days takes up the whole city.”
Designation by the Oregon Heritage Commission as an Oregon Heritage Tradition came in 2016 and Dory Days shares the distinction with such major events as the Oregon State Fair, the Pendleton Round-Up and Portland’s Rose Festival. The event may have grown in numbers and in the size of its footprint, but, William noted, the spirit of the affair remains constant.
“It’s a really joyous occasion,” she said. “When you look out at the crowd, there isn’t a frowning face in sight.”
The Kiawanda Community Center is located at 34600 Cape Kiwanda Drive. For more information, go to pcdorymen.com.