Waldport's New Addition to Oregon Coast: Beach, Bike and Blues Fest

Published 04/15/22 at 5:32 AM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Waldport, Oregon) – On April 30, something new comes to the central Oregon coast, as Waldport holds its first inaugural Beach, Bike and Blues Festival. Held in conjunction with the 10th Annual Oregon Coast Gravel Epic, it's a celebration of things on two wheels, food, music and the beach.

Beach, Bike & Blues Festival happens from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on that Saturday, at the Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center/Waldport Heritage Museum. It is free.

The Oregon Coast Gravel Epic race begins at 8 a.m. and by the start of the festival the bulk of that largescale event will be done. Some 500 racers and their families come to be a part of this rough and wild event, resulting in as many as 1,000 hitting Waldport. The festival will act as a kind of after party, but you don't have to be a part of the race in any way to attend.

Either way, it's going to be a rager.

“It features a beer and beverage garden, live music, delicious food, vendor faire and a merchandise shop inside the Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center,” said Tom Fullmer, executive director of the Waldport Chamber of Commerce. “We're transforming the parking lot and the center into a fun afternoon for all ages.“

Thunder & Lightness World Beat Ensemble

Fullmer expects a lot of businesses will stay open late as well, giving visitors more time to shop, eat and soak up the town's quaint vibe.

“Our community will be filled with locals, visitors and travelers - all ready to eat, shop, play, stay - and celebrate our wonderful Central Oregon Coast,” he said.

Three unique area restaurants will have booths / food carts at the festival.

JoElle's Fish & Chips boasts seafood with some international twists, and the vast majority of the menu items are creative takes on tuna.

Meatloaf Burgers from near Eugene is just like it sounds: chunky burgers made from meatloaf as well as regular burgers.

Waldport's Lazy Dayz Cafe is an engaging collection of burgers, sandwiches, different incarnations of those items and ice cream favorites. The festival will be their premiere of some new food item called the “Dinosaur Egg,” which is as yet still a bit of a secret so this will be an interesting debut.

The festival's beverage area will feature craft beer as well as plenty of non-alcoholic drinks.

The performance schedule:

1:30 p.m. - Thunder & Lightness World Beat Ensemble

3:30 p.m. - Old Time Blues featuring Paul Schuytema

5:30 p.m. - Bringin’ It Home Blues with Steve Cook, Curtis Colt, Jim Hobbs & Notary Sojack

The Oregon Coast Gravel Epic is one of the major bike races along the coastline, utilizing 65% pure logging roads that are still unpaved, while the other portion is pavement that remains from decades of logging in these thick forests. It's a raw endurance event that takes place in the soaring, ancient Siuslaw National Forest surrounding Waldport. Two major race layouts are available to participants: the 60-mile Abomination or the 37-mile Son of Abomination, making it one gnarly day in the midst of some epic scenery. https://www.mudslingerevents.com/

More on the Beach, Bike and Blues Festival: https://findyourselfinwaldport.com/

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Photo courtesy Waldport Chamber

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