Submitted by Westport Winery
The International Mermaid Museum is holding its 2023 Mermaid Festival from Saturday, April 1 through Sunday, April 9. During this nine-day event it is free to visit the museum from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and to enjoy the festival from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition to the museum’s enchanting educational exhibits, the festival boasts a series of special attractions for visitors of all ages during this celebration of the sea. Everyone will enjoy seeing mermaids and bigfoot around the museum, gardens, and the event tent.
The Northwest’s famous Una the Mermaid will be performing underwater in her tank from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. On weekdays she will be available for photos from noon to 2 p.m. and will perform in the tank from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Olive the Alchemist, founder of the Seattle Mermaid School, will preside on the mermaid throne from 11am to 2pm and 3pm to 6pm in the museum every day of the festival.
Vertical Axis performers Nick Perry and Amanda Thornton will perform daily on their high wire at 1 p.m., 3:15 p.m., and 4:30 p.m., with the exception of April 8. Theirs is a combination of music and dance while suspended from a 20-foot tower.
All ages will want to see the Pacific Northwest Unicorns for greeting and photos from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day of the festival.
In the tent, guests can look forward to meeting the artists and crafters in person as they shop woodworking, jewelry, knotwork, acrylic and watercolor paintings, jewelry, soaps, gifts, and a host of mixed media art, daily from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
A band of pirates and pirate band, Knot for Sail performs a wide range of nautically inspired songs, originals and singalongs. Their unique brand of music and humor has been delighting audiences across the US and Caribbean for decades. You will find them roaming grounds between the resort grounds and from noon to 4 p.m. on April 1.
Mermaid artist Jill Neal will have her work on display and for sale on Saturday and Sunday, April 1 and 2.
Both Sundays, April 2 and 9, University of Washington Oceanography Candidate Katherine Qi will have a booth. At 2 p.m. on both dates she will offer a 15 to 20 minute presentation on ocean ecology.
Author Brianna Tibbets will be signing and selling her young adult book, “Head Over Tails,” on April 1 and 2.
Mermaid and author Aura Stiles will be signing and selling her book “A Dream Made Real” on April 1 and 2.
Mermaid Aura, and her partner Merman Mike, will perform as the Bad Little Space Mermaids at 4pm on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2. The duo plays Celtic themed folk music, woven with poetry and mythology. Mermaid harpist Ruth Navarre will be performing with them.
The Grays Harbor Master Gardeners will host a free plant clinic on Saturday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 4 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the patio at Westport Winery.
Mermaid Pockets of What Dwells Beneath will be offering original artwork as well as prints. At her side, Pirate Cliff will offer oyster shucking for pearls to be made into jewelry. Photos with both are always welcome. This pair will be on hand both weekends of the festival.
Author Marissa Meyer will be signing her books on Saturday, April 8 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
In addition to the Sea Glass Grill, festival guests can enjoy tasty treats from Buckin’ Beans Coffee Company on April 1 and then April 3 through April 8.
Mellie’s Mini Donuts will be offering their tasty treats in their food truck from April 1 through April 9.
All day, every 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,
There is a free gyotaku – fish printing – station in the tent next to the museum every day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Inside the museum there is a fee for guests who want to mine fossils, shells or gems, in the museum’s sluice box or for activating the mermaid fortune teller or the penny squisher.
The International Mermaid Museum is a registered 501(C)3 nonprofit dedicated to teaching ocean ecology from seashore to sea floor immersed in mermaid mythology uniting world oceanic cultures. The International Mermaid Museum is located on the grounds of Westport Winery Garden Resort, halfway between Aberdeen and Westport on the Washington Coast. For more information go to the Mermaid Museum website.
The museum has three levels of annual membership. Each offers a year of free visits to the museum along with significant swag! A SOLO membership is $10 and includes a decal and a mug. A PAIR membership for two includes a decal and two mugs for $20. And a POD membership for a family of up to eight includes a decal, and ornament and two mugs for only $40.
Another special and forever gift is to purchase a commemorative brick, block or bench. Each custom engraved 4-inch x 8-inch brick is $100. A double 8×8 brick is $200. There are two styles of concrete benches available for $1,000 each.
You can order your membership by phone by calling 360.310.4882 or emailing info@mermaidmuseum.org. The International Mermaid Museum is located on the grounds of Westport Winery Garden Resort and is open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
