Pacific City’s Dory Fleet will “Reach for the Stars” at the 59^th annual Dory Days celebration. The three-day event will begin Friday July 20 and wrap up on the 22 with highlighted happenings such as the parade, fishing contest, pancake breakfast, children’s activities, fish fry, free concert and much more.

Dory Days was designated one of just 20 Oregon Heritage Events in 2016 and is something the Pacific City Chamber of Commerce is quite proud of.

“We are at the same level as the Pendleton Roundup and Cannon Beach Sand Castle event,” Chamber Treasurer Doug Olson  said. “The Rose Festival parade in Portland didn’t make the cut, so we are a notch ahead of them.”

The 2018 Dory Days kicks off on Friday with the Artisan Fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Artisan Fair has become a staple at the event as vendors set up near the four-way stop in town and sell unique handmade jewelry. Saturday’s Artisan Fair will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday is back to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The majority of Dory Days activities take place on Saturday, starting at the crack of dawn with the Dory Fishing Contest. Fishermen and women will head out and compete for “Biggest Catch” and “Biggest Limit” titles. Starting at 7 a.m. is the pancake breakfast at the Kiawanda Community Center and will last until 11 a.m.

Kids can get their day started with a Dune Climb at Cape Kiwanda at 8:30 a.m. Participants will race to the top of the giant sand dune to earn prizes for completing the feat. Saturday’s main event is the Dory Days parade starting at 11 a.m. The Dory floats will be decked out with the “Reach for the Stars” theme in mind and will travel from Bob Straub State Park all the way to Chester’s Thriftway on the other side of town.

Leading the charge at this year’s parade will be Grand Marshals Gerald and Cheryl Branch, who have done a lot of work with Pacific City’s Dorymen’s Association throughout the years. Among the royalty in the Dory parade is this year’s Dory Princess Isabel Bruce, a 2017 Nestucca High School graduate and current Western Oregon University student. This year’s Junior Dory Princess is Avery Booth Johnson, whose family holds deep roots in the Dory fishing community.

After the parade, you will be able to try out some of that fresh Dory caught fish at the fish fry starting at noon and lasting till 7 p.m. The fish fry will be at the community center and the menu features fish, clam chowder, beans, cole slaw and rolls.

Saturday’s celebration continues with a children’s educational art activity from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the community center, courtesy of the Neskowin, Nestucca and Sandlake Watersheds Council. Saturday is capped off with a free concert from local musician Bret Lucich from 6 to 10 p.m. and is accompanied by a beer and wine garden for the adults.

All-day Dory events include the Linfield Dory Exhibit at the community center, which runs from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. As well as a boat display at Cape Kiwanda from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

For more Dory Days information visit the Pacific City Chamber of Commerce office or website at pcnvchamber.org.