40th Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo set for this weekend
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 4, 2026
The 40th Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo is set for this weekend at the Ocean Shores Convention Center as the seaside town unofficially kicks off spring festival season. More than 1,400 people attended last year’s event.
“Float Wranglers” and “Float Fairies” have been releasing glass floats into the open sea and surf, and on local beaches since Valentine’s Day and will continue to do so through Sunday. Beachcombers are also encouraged to pick up trash along the way while searching for their glass float treasures.
Dozens of people have posted pictures of themselves with their float finds to the Expo’s Facebook page so far this year in hopes of winning one of seven large glass floats. Entrants can increase their chances of winning the contest by entering in person at the Expo. Last year, of the nearly 1,000 floats released, 450 were returned for entry into the contest.
If you are planning to attend the 40th annual Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo, you will need to purchase a wrist band which is good for both Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8 — as well as the special 40th anniversary function on Saturday evening. Doors close at 4 p.m. and will re-open at 4:30 p.m. as renowned glass blower Ro Purser will begin his special presentation just off the main lobby. Purser’s presentation will be followed by a dessert social. If you leave during the day on Saturday and would like to come back for the special evening social be sure to have your wristband handy.
Entry for the Expo is $5 per couple, $3 single, and children 12 and under are free.
Regular expo hours are: Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, March 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Speaker schedule:
Saturday, March 7
11 a.m. to noon: John Anderson, Gulf Coast Beachcombing
Noon to 1 p.m.: Cascadia Research — marine mammal studies
1 to 2 p.m.: Mary Beth Beuke, Sea Glass History: Tales, Treks, and Timelines
2 to 3 p.m.: John Weldon, Beachcombing 101
Sunday, March 8
11 a.m. to noon: John Anderson, Extreme PNW Beachcombing
1 to 2 p.m.: Alan Rammer, Fun Facts About PNW Sea Life Along Our Coastal Shores
Glass fishing floats are highly sought after treasures on the Washington coast and have a long, colorful history. 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.”
The Beachcombers and Glass Float Expo is just one of a handful of such events in the United States. Lincoln City, Oregon, holds a year-round event known as Finders Keepers. On the East Coast, people have been finding their way 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 throughout January and February.
