The incredibly popular annual Mermaid Festival is expanding.
In 2026, the event will beckon to visitors every full weekend in March. As always, this fin-tastic, free and family-friendly event is held at Westport Winery Garden Resort, home of the International Mermaid Museum. Museum admission is free from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, and 29 (International Mermaid Day).
The festival boasts a fleet of world-class entertainers along with talented local artists and fresh tempting treat purveyors and 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.
The Northwest’s most famous mermaid, Una, will be performing underwater in her tank each weekend from 11 a.m. to noon, 1 to 2 p.m., and 3 to 4 p.m.
Siren Circe will preside on the mermaid throne in the museum daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Many visitors in the past have met Circe at the oyster shucking exhibit where — with her cohort Pirate Cliff — pearls are found and abound.
Vertical Axis performers Nick Perry and Amanda Thornton will electrify the sky at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily. Theirs is a combination of music and dance while suspended from a 20-foot tower.
All ages will want to exchange greetings with the Pacific Northwest Unicorns and their handler Crystal, each day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the festival. Her unicorns, Sky and Blue, are truly enchanting and eager to have their photos taken with their fans.
During the festival, Rachel Novak, the Sailing Siren, will thrill guests with fire dancing at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Rachel was named Fire Entertainer of the Year 2016 and is the reigning Scuba Queen USA.
The Ono Wahini Áina Mermaid School, lead by Mermaid Cordylia, will have mermaid magic to share with photo opportunities and information on how to become a mermaid.
The Master Gardeners will host a free plant clinic each Saturday. If you have garden tools that need sharpening, you can bring those since they have someone to help with that daunting task.
Each day in the museum kids are invited to 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, the museum is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. year ‘round.
