International Mermaid Museum’s 2024 Mermaid Festival
Date and Time
Saturday Apr 6, 2024 Sunday Apr 14, 2024
Location
The International Mermaid Museum is located on the grounds of Westport Winery Garden Resort, halfway between Aberdeen and Westport on the Washington Coast in Unforgettable Grays Harbor County.
Website
International Mermaid Museum’s 2024 M...
Description
Find your fins, it’s time to splash your way to the International Mermaid Museum’s 2024 Mermaid Festival from Saturday, April 6 through Sunday, April 14. During this nine-day event it is free to visit the museum from 11am to 6pm and to enjoy the festival from 11am to 4pm.
The festival boasts a series of special attractions for visitors of all ages during this celebration of the sea. In addition to the museum’s enchanting educational exhibits, everyone will enjoy seeing mermaids and other mythical creatures around the museum, gardens, and event tents.
The Northwest’s famous Una the Mermaid will be performing underwater in her tank every day from 11am to noon, 1pm to 2pm, and 3pm to 4pm. Una is the founder of the Portland Mermaid Parade and leader of the Portland Mermaid Cove. Her cove will offer story telling and mermaid crafts from their magical bay throughout the festival.
Olive the Alchemist, founder of the Seattle Mermaid School, will preside on the mermaid throne in the museum daily from 11am to 4pm. Olive is a former Disney character, Miss Washington, and Miss Ocean Ambassador. Olive’s mermaid troupe along with the Seattle Mermaid School will share their knowledge from their sea sphere each day.
Vertical Axis performers Nick Perry and Amanda Thornton will electrify the sky daily at 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm daily. Theirs is a combination of music and dance while suspended from a 20-foot tower. Between their exciting shows, you can meet Nick and Amanda as they help you navigate the festival.
All ages will want to exchange greetings with the Pacific Northwest Unicorns and their handler Crystal, daily from 11am to 4pm. Sky and Blue are truly enchanting and eager to have their photos taken with their fans.
Rachel the Sailing Siren and Fawn Destiny will thrill guests as they fire dance at noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Rachel Novak is a freediving instructor, professional mermaid, and fire entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was the 2016 Fire Entertainer of the Year. She is a member of the US National Freediving Team and wass an athlete on American Ninja Warrior.
The Captain’s Daughter, a Celtic music duo, have created a collaboration of traditional and modern Celtic compositions, along with high energy fiddle tunes. Westport native Jenny Leighton plays piano and melodica. Randi Soule from Raymond plays fiddle in a breathtaking fashion. They are show pieced daily from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Acclaimed young adult author and mermaid Brianna Tibbets will sign and sell her book, Head Over Tails, every day from 11am to 4pm. Her book is “a sweet mermaid-meets-human romance set within the lovely vistas of Hawaii.” She will also autograph her book The Knight In Battered Armor. This story “shows children of all ages the importance of doing what is right no matter what and not being afraid to protect what is most important.”
Siren Cerulia and Pirate Athena of The Mystik Menagerie have fun and interactive rock and pearl jewelry. This includes guests choosing “Mystik Oysters” containing colored pearls. They also have custom airbrush sweaters to design and purchase. A mermaid throne allows attendees to take pictures with the Mystik mermaid.
The Northwest’s mermaid community will be at the festival in full force. In addition to the Portland Mermaid Cove at the festival each day, the South Sound Pearls Mermaid Pod will offer Sea Story Time and share special treasures with kids.
All visitors are invited to don their finest fishy costumes whether they are mermaids or other mythical creatures. This is simply a fun family festival.
Mermaid Aura and Merman Mike will be selling and signing her book Mermaid: A Dream Made Real, on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 from 11am to 4pm. They will then perform as The Bad Little Space Mermaids from 4pm to 6pm inside the museum’s exhibition hall on Saturday, April 6. The duo plays Celtic themed folk music, woven with poetry and mythology, on guitar and theremin.
In the two arts and crafts tents, guests can look forward to meeting the creators in person as they shop woodworking, jewelry, knotwork, acrylic and watercolor paintings, jewelry, soaps, gifts, and a host of mixed media art. Artists Breeyn and Travis will offer face painting and balloon animals.
In addition to Westport Winery’s award-winning Sea Glass Grill, festival attendees can enjoy a variety of delicious delicacies including Smitty’s Mini Donuts< Larry’s Lemonade and Kettle Corn, and Ryan’s Nice Nuts.
Each day of the festival the Mermaid Museum’s board of directors will host a fish printing (gyotaku) station from 11am to 1:30pm. This will be followed by a Sanddollar Decorating station with Nancy from 1:30pm to 4pm. Both experiential art activities are free for all ages.
Each day, kids can participate in a Pirate’s Treasure Hunt in the museum with prizes for those who complete the puzzle and find the treasure.
Inside the museum there is a fee for guests who want to mine fossils, shells or gems, in the museum’s sluice box, to have Aquamarine tell their fortune, or to create one of four unique designs with the penny press.
The International Mermaid Museum is a registered 501(C)3 non-profit dedicated to teaching ocean ecology from seashore to sea floor immersed in mermaid mythology, uniting world oceanic cultures.
For more information go to www.MermaidMuseum.org.
