Extravagant Mermaid Festival returns for weekends in April

The incredibly popular Mermaid Festival invites visitors every weekend in April.

As always, this fin-tastic, free and family-friendly event is held at Westport Winery Garden Resort, home of the International Mermaid Museum. Even museum admission is free during the festival as each Saturday and Sunday (April 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27) boasts a fleet of world-class entertainers along with talented local artists and tempting treat purveyors.

The festival sparkles with 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 meeting a school of mermaids from around the region along with other mythical creatures throughout the museum, gardens, and tents.

Special festival performers include the Northwest’s most famous mermaid, Una in her tank, Siren Circe will preside on the mermaid throne in the museum, Vertical Axis aerial acrobats Nick Perry and Amanda Thornton will electrify the sky while suspended from a 20-foot tower, Rachel Novak, the Sailing Siren, will thrill guests with fire dancing, and the enchanting Pacific Northwest Unicorns are eager to have their photos taken with their fans.

In addition to the Mermaid Festival dates, unicorns Sky and Blue will be at Westport Winery Garden Resort on National Unicorn Day, Wednesday, April 9, from 3 to 5 p.m. where Blue will offer Unicorn rides. Unicorn Sky will remain in the petting corral for those who don’t want to buy a ride on Blue. The riding opportunity is limited to children who weigh less than 100 pounds.

Mermaids from around the Northwest will share their culture and love of the sea throughout the festival. The Ono Wahine Mermaid School will detail what it takes to become a professionally certified mermaid. Members of the Mystic Menagerie, the South Sound Pod, the Emerald Sea Sirens, the Cascadia Pod, the Whidbey Island Sirens Pod, the Shadowscale Squad, the Mutiny Mermaid Pod and Portland’s Mermaid Cove, will host a variety of events and entertainment during this incredible celebration of all thing’s mermaid.

As part of the festival, the museum will host a costume contest on April 20 (Easter Sunday) at 1 p.m. All visitors are invited to don their finest costumes whether they are mermaids, pirates, other mythical creatures or Easter bunnies, with adult and children’s categories. Every contestant will receive an enchanted Easter egg. Winners are awarded a pirate chest filled with ocean treasures.

In many arts and crafts tents in the 15-acre display garden, guests can meet the creators in person as they shop woodworking, jewelry, knotwork, acrylic and watercolor paintings, jewelry, soaps, candles and gifts.

Mixed media artists offer fantastical face painting and hilarious balloon animals while LaNae weaves shimmering mermaid hair, Westport Bubble Works creates interactive fun and Lighthouse Wellness offers massages.

The Master Gardeners will host a free plant clinic and tool sharpening each Saturday. Festival attendees can enjoy a variety of delicious delicacies including mini donuts, cotton candy, ice cream, coffee, burgers, hot dogs, roasted nuts and lemonade.

Each day in the museum kids are invited to join a Pirate’s Treasure Hunt with prizes for those who complete the puzzle and find the treasure.

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.

Located on the grounds of Westport Winery Garden Resort, halfway between Aberdeen and Westport on the Washington coast in Unforgettable Grays Harbor County, the museum is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. year around. For more information go to www.MermaidMuseum.org.

7th Street Theatre screens Jesus Christ Superstar

The 7th Street Theatre will screen the movie Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) on Saturday, April 5, starting at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 6, starting at 2 p.m.

Doors open 30 minutes before the movie begins.

Based on a concept album project written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and the subsequent long-running Broadway performance, this film tells the story of the final six days in the life of Jesus Christ through the troubled eyes of Judas Iscariot. Too often mislabeled a musical, this film is a “rock opera.” There are no spoken lines, everything is sung. Starring Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, and Yvonne Elliman, and rated G. The 7th Street Theatre is located at 313 7th St., Hoquiam.

Swap meet

A swap meet takes place at the Grays Harbor Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Coastline Chorale presents debut performance

The Coastline Chorale, the Harbor’s new choral ensemble, are a select group of local singers and instrumentalists, sharing the canon of choral masterworks with the Grays Harbor community.

Join them for their debut performance on Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary Church, featuring selections from Palestrina’s Missa Brevis, Morten Lauridsen’s sublime Nocturnes and Mozart’s thrilling Vesperae solennes de confessore.

Admission is pay what you wish (suggested donation $10) — after they cover our expenses, proceeds go to benefit the Grays Harbor Music Teachers Association scholarship program.

All-you-can-eat oyster feed returning to Oakville’s Sharon Grange April 12

Oyster lovers are invited to the annual Oakville Sharon Grange All-You-Can-Eat Oyster Feed, scheduled for Saturday, April 12, from noon to 5 p.m. — or until the oysters run out.

“​​The menu consists of oyster stew, fried oysters, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, dinner roll, beverage and pie,” Sharon Grange President Debbie Hill said in a news release.

Attendees are asked to pay with either cash or checks. Tickets will be sold at the door for $30 for those 13 and older, $25 for seniors 65 or older and $15 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under 5 can eat for free.

Proceeds from the oyster feed fund the Sharon Grange’s scholarship fund and its community activities fund and help pay for grange building repairs.

Sharon Grange is located at 912 S. Bank Road north of Oakville near the town of Porter.

Originally the Porter Grange No. 800, the Sharon Grange was founded on Aug. 3, 1923, with 22 charter members. Grange members would meet on the Porter side of the Chehalis River until the old Sharon School building became available and the grange eventually moved.

Since its founding, the Sharon Grange has been involved in multiple local, state and national activities while serving the community, including at its annual oyster dinner.