Want a great day? Be sure to planet well
Your guide to Earth Day events on the Central Oregon Coast
When a holiday falls on a weekend, there tends to be more to do. This Earth Day, Saturday April 22, is no exception. From beach cleanups to interactive activities for kids and even a burlesque show that will help raise funds for an Earth-friendly organization, you can find plenty of ways to remember to thank our often-unappreciated planet.
Westwind open house
Enjoy open access to Camp Westwind’s scenic beach, green forests and Salmon River frontage and learn from a selection of coastal conservation organizations. Food and snacks will be provided, along with some possible prizes and souvenirs.
Activities include boat and canoe tours of the Salmon River Estuary, a beach trash clean-up, art and nature projects, site tours, hikes, archery and games.
Admission is free, but please consider making a donation to help cover food and volunteer costs.
Ferry crossings will begin at 12:30 pm and return crossings will begin at 3:30 pm at Knight County Park, located at the end of Three Rocks Road, just north of Lincoln City. For more information and to register, go to westwind.org.
Surf and Earth
The fourth iteration of this growing event celebrating the Central Coast’s surfing community will feature shapers displaying handmade surfboards along with photographers, artists, jewelry makers and stones from Tah•Lume. Live music will be provided by Portland-based musician Forest Bailey and there will be food from Grubs on Wheels, the opportunity to try the new sparkling water from Pelican Pub and the chance to meet members of the nonprofit group Babes on Waves.
The event runs from 1 to 3 pm at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. Please note that the center is open and parking is available during construction.
Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society plant giveaway and cultural event
A wonderful opportunity to experience the culture of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, with a Siletz Tribal Royalty court, native drum group, cultural displays, traditional foods presentation, cedar weaving demonstration and tree seedling giveaway while supplies last.
The event runs from 2 to 4 pm at Oregon Coast Community College, 3788 SE High School Drive in Lincoln City. For more information about the society, go to siletzartsheritagesociety.org.
“Water, the Musical”
Be a viewer or even a participant in an interactive concert for all ages about our beautiful Spaceship Earth, in collaboration with Oregon Shores' CoastWatch at the Pines Dine in Lincoln City.
Your Song My Song is an environmental justice-focused children’s entertainment group from the Central Coast that writes music about connecting to the planet. With unique, funky and original songs and a fully interactive musical show with hundreds of puppets, “Your Song My Song” celebrates the beauty and bio-magic of the third rock from the sun.
Play with hundreds of marine and space puppets, dance and sing along while learning how to get involved with shoreline stewardship and community science through CoastWatch's Adopt a Mile program.
The event begins at 5:30 pm at the Pines Dine Food truck Village, located at 5040 SE Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City. For more information, including menus for the 12 food trucks to choose from, go to thepinesdine.com.
420 Earth Day Cabaret
Americana Mayhem and Primaltones Community Venue present this wild burlesque cabaret with some of the finest dancers in the Pacific Northwest. A raffle during the event will raise funds to support Midwest Watershed Council’s efforts to improve and restore habitat in the local watershed environment. A dance party will follow the show.
The show starts at 9 pm and tickets for this 21-and-older event are $25.
Primaltones Community Venue is located at 2925 SE Ferry Slip Road in Newport.
For tickets and more information, go to primaltones.com.
Clean up events
From independent group gatherings to the more than 100 clean-ups organized by SOLVE Oregon, Earth Day is cleanup day all over the state.
You can help keep the day green by bringing your own reusable gloves and collection containers like five-gallon buckets or sturdy bags.
For a full list of SOLVE Oregon cleanups, go to solveoregon.org, but some of our favorites include:
• Sand Lake Watersheds Council’s Pacific City cleanup. Meets near the boat ramp of the Cape Kiwanda parking area. 10 am to 1 pm. A prize raffle will end the day.
• Depoe Bay Clean-Up and Beautification Day. Volunteers will clean up their own neighborhoods, the city park and the harbor area and plant flowers and native plants on City property. 9 to 11 am.
• Newport Chapter of Surfrider cleanup at Agate Beach State Recreation Site. 10 am to 1 pm.
Join other trail enthusiasts for some work and possibly a group run during a trail maintenance event at Newport’s Big Creek Reservoir. Organized by Joshua Bibbee and Team Ardor, the event runs from 9 am to noon at Big Creek Park. For more information, go to the Trail Maintenance at Big Creek Reservoir page on Facebook.
Friday, April 21
Turning Trash into Treasure
Spend an afternoon at the Newport Visual Arts Center creating art out of materials that would normally end up in a landfill.
The workshops were originally developed for teens, but Arts Education Manager Sara Siggelkow has now opened the event up to all ages, though artists younger than six years old will need to be supervised by an adult.
“It’s such an exciting, interesting, hands-on experience,” she said. “Several adults mentioned they’d like to get in on the fun, too, and I thought…well, why not?”
From cardboard to motherboards, foam core to phone cords — participants will find plenty of fodder to spark their creativity.
“I can’t wait,” an eager patron said. “Turning broken plastic pieces into beautiful masterpieces? Yes please!”
The workshop is from 1 and 4 pm at the Newport Visual Arts Center, located at 777 NW Beach Drive. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-574-3364.