Dive into a world of underwater fantasy and fun at the Mermaid Festival happening April 6-14, 2024, at the International Mermaid Museum at Westport Winery Garden Resort halfway between Westport and Aberdeen on the Washington Coast. At the festival, in addition to meeting mermaids, you will see aerial acrobats take to the skies and even meet unicorns. The entire family will enjoy free entertainment at the multi-day festival that runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes free admission to the museum’s incredible exhibits until 6 p.m. daily. Talented local performers and artists will leave you breathless.
Meet These Incredible Talents at the Mermaid Festival 2024
Una the Mermaid
Say, “Shell-o” to Una the Mermaid at the 2024 Mermaid Festival! Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Una has deep ties to the ocean she calls home. Since the mid-2000s she has been donning a mermaid tail – made by herself! – and performing for humans in her 900-gallon traveling tank inspired by the circus wagons from the late 19th Century. You won’t want to miss her underwater performances at the Festival!
Being a mermaid is not easy! The temperature of the water, the water treatment plan, muscle cramps, and learning how not to blow bubbles when interacting with humans are just some of the challenges. “Being an underwater performer comes with many challenges, but if we mermaids are successful, we make it look easy!” Una shares.
“Each visitor will have an opportunity to take unlimited selfies and receive a special ocean treasure,” says Una about her upcoming performances during the Mermaid Festival. “Guests will also have an opportunity to meet the quirky Ziggy Maelstrom, a sea traveler, and mermaid handler. He will share his knowledge of ocean mythology and mermaid facts!”
PNW Unicorns
Crystal Steagall is bringing the PNW Unicorns to delight visitors of all ages at the Mermaid Festival in Grays Harbor. “The unicorns bring tons of smiles – kids love them, and even the grown-ups can’t help but grin,” she shares. “It’s really nice how they add a touch of magic to everyone’s life, which is exactly why I do unicorn meet and greets – to spread joy and enchantment wherever they go!”
The PNW Unicorns will be greeting guests daily as part of the free entertainment at the Mermaid Festival. The PNW Unicorns are both rescue horses and helping nonprofits is a big part of why Crystal does what she does. “Bringing individuals closer to horses helps them recognize the importance of keeping these beautiful animals safe, supporting animal nonprofits in their mission,” explains Crystal.
Rachel the Sailing Siren and Firedancer
Rachel Novak is a Performance Freediving International freediving and mermaid instructor, a PADI Divemaster and a mermaid performance artist. “For anyone without a diving background, freediving is the sport of diving using only one breath to explore the underwater world,” Rachel explains. Her career has taken her to some amazing depths, including underwater stunt work for the blockbuster film “Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever.” She has also held the titles of Sea Queen of Nevada and Miss Mermaid Nevada.
If that wasn’t cool enough, she has been a firedancer since the age of 16, traveling around the world including being a featured fire entertainer in “Celestia,” a circus show in Las Vegas and earning the title Fire Entertainer of the Year 2016. Her routines include the art of spinning fire around her body using props, including poi, staff, hoops or fans. Rachel will be wowing the crowds at the 2024 Mermaid Festival with her firedancing four times daily.
“I love coming to the International Mermaid Festival because it is an incredible way to connect with mermaid enthusiasts, the local mermaid community, and to support an organization that uses art and fantasy to educate people about our oceans,” Rachel says. “As a freediver and scuba diver, I love being in the ocean, and the International Mermaid Museum plants the seeds for people to learn more about our oceans so they can explore them and protect them.”
Vertical Axis
Amanda Thorton and her partner in life and in the sky, Nick Perry, make up Vertical Axis! They both have over a decade of experience in aerial arts and their expertise is quickly proven in the silks. They will be part of the free entertainment at the Mermaid Festival 2024. Watch their breathtaking aerial acrobatics performance as they flip, fly and dive through the air in fluid movements that create the illusion of swimming through air! It makes sense, as Amanda often dons fins as a mermaid too.
“You can expect high-energy music, exhilarating aerial acrobatics, goofy energy and touching moments,” shares Nick. “Audiences are always welcome to cheer, yell and whoop along as we fly through the air!”
“We think it’s incredible to have a place in Westport that is dedicated to our favorite sea creatures,” adds Amanda. “Getting to share our story and performance with an audience that shares our love of whimsy and mermaids is the greatest treasure!”
Brianna Tibbets
“I always love attending events where the idea is to bring together people who are passionate about something,” shares Brianna Tibbets, an author of children’s fairy tales and contemporary fantasy. And it’s this reason that keeps her coming back to the Mermaid Festival in Grays Harbor. “The Mermaid Festival brings together all kinds of people who share a love for mermaids, ocean adventures, and creative arts. I always have a wonderful time talking to people about what they love, and the Mermaid Festival is a great place to do just that. It’s also such a joy to see young kids running around in face paint, glitter, and sparkling mermaid scales. It’s a really fun event that I’m grateful to keep getting invited back to!”
This year, meet Brianna at her author’s table, where she will have a few of her books on hand to buy and will be signing copies, including “The Knight in Battered Armor,” a children’s book, “Wags, Woofs, and Wonders,” an anthology of magical dog stories, and “Head Over Tails,” a contemporary fantasy romance that is now out of print – the Mermaid Festival will be the only place to get a physical, signed copy!
Olive the Alchemist, Mermaid Instructor
Olive Teague – known as Olive the Alchemist – has been a mermaid her whole life. “My parents started me early with Infant Self Rescue lessons,” she explains. “I stayed in competitive water sports through college and was privileged to train beneath a spread of Olympic and Olympic Qualifying athletes including Michael Phelps.”
She spent 2016-2020 as a professional mermaid character with Walt Disney World Entertainment. “I developed a passion – maybe an addiction – for that blurring line between ‘this is just a person in a costume’ and ‘mermaids are real and they ARE just people in costumes,’ Olive shares. She started Alchemy Aquatics Entertainment LLC and The Seattle Mermaid School in 2021. Here, she teaches people how to safely swim with mermaid tails.
As part of the free entertainment at the Mermaid Festival, the entire Alchemist’s Guild will be there daily. Visit their booth to find Seattle Mermaid School merchandise, learn about their classes and more. Pick up a collectible brochure with the singing locations of each mermaid at the Festival. Olive the Alchemist will be found on the Main Throne at the Mermaid Museum entrance for signatures and photos.
“The magical thing about the Mermaid Museum is that it brings people from all these different walks of life together and creates a magical and enriching experience for all who enter its doors,” shares Olive.
Don’t miss the 2024 Mermaid Festival happening at the International Mermaid Museum in unforgettable Grays Harbor County.
International Mermaid Museum’s Mermaid Festival
April 6-14, 2024
11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (free admission to the Museum until 6 p.m.)
1 South Arbor Road, Aberdeen
Go to Mermaid Museum website to see the entertainment schedule. In addition to the performers the festival hosts an array of artists, food vendors, and activities for all ages during the event.
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