For 39 years enthusiasts and visitors have gathered in Ocean Shores in celebration of beachcombing and glass float collecting.

Formerly known as Beachcombers Fun Fair, the 2025 Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo includes the release of hundreds of authentic Japanese glass fishing floats with “Expo25” etched into the glass during the weeks leading up to and including the Expo. The float release kicked off today.

“Float Wranglers” and “Float Fairies” are releasing them into the sea by crab boat, into the surf, and on local beaches through March 2. Beachcombers are also encouraged to pick up trash along the way while searching for their glass float treasures.

The Expo will be held at the Ocean Shores Convention Center March 1–2, and will also include educational “talks” with Alan Rammer on razor clams and beachcombing, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the Surfrider Foundation, “Extreme Beachcombing” with John Anderson and more.

Glass fishing floats are highly sought after treasures on the Washington coast. According to Oregon’s Ocean Beaches Glassblowing’s website, “The first mention of the manufacture of glass fishing floats was in the production registry of Norway’s Hadeland Glassverk in 1841. The first evidence of their use by fishermen was also in Norway around that same time — being used with fishing nets as well as fishing line and hooks. In the Pacific, Japan’s fishing fleet started using glass floats around 1910, and glass replaced most other materials used for floats by the 1940s. Today, though, the use of glass in fishing floats has been replaced by materials like plastic, aluminum and Styrofoam.”

According to an article published through Beachcombing magazine in 2023, “The Northwestern Glass Company, established in 1932 in Seattle, made hand-blown floats for the fishing industry. These floats were sold to fishing companies in North America, Russia, and around the world.”

Speaking to the popularity of glass floats in Western Washington, Shane and Michelle Konkle opened a Westport Marina district location of their business, West Coast Glass Floats, late last year. They specialize in the import and export of authentic Japanese fishing floats.

Lincoln City, Oregon, holds a year-round event known as Finders Keepers where visitors can search for glass treasures made by local artisans along seven miles of beach. On the East Coast, people have been flocking to Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island since 2012 in search of hand-blown glass orbs hidden all over the island. Jekyll Island on the east coast of Georgia hosts a similar event called Island Treasures which is currently underway and ends February 28.

The 2025 Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo

Where: Floats are released onto the beaches in and around the greater Ocean Shores area. Open to the public.

When: Friday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, March 2. Floats are released every day. The Expo will be held at the Ocean Shores Convention Center. Doors open on Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $3 per person, $5 per couple, and children under 12 are free.

What: Hundreds of authentic Japanese glass fishing floats with “EXPO25” etched into the glass to be released. Glass fishing floats still occasionally wash ashore on West Coast beaches after many years at sea, but it’s a rare occurrence.

Why: This float release activity is part of the Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo.

How: “Float fairies” and “float wranglers” regularly distribute antique glass fishing floats onto the beach, water and fringe dune areas in the greater Ocean Shores area during the float release period. Crab boats release floats outside the surf if the winds, tides and currents are cooperating.

Contest to Win Large Prize Floats: First, find a float from the float release that’s been etched with “EXPO25.” Only beachcomb one float per person. Once you’ve found a float, you can enter the contest by posting a photo of your float find on the Facebook group Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo with the hashtag #EXPO25. You can increase your chances of winning by entering the contest in-person by bringing your float to the Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo The contest ends at 3 p.m. sharp on Sunday, March 2.