Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

July is a big month for fairs and rodeos in Oregon as well as music festivals. From the Philomath Frolic and Rodeo in Philomath to the alternative style fairs like the Oregon Country Faire in Eugene, to the Brit Festival in Jacksonville, the state is jumping with good times! Well, we here in Yachats also have a couple of events in July that find folks from all over enjoying themselves with the divine pleasures of food and music. This is the weekend of the 28^th annual Yachats International Music Festival and the 38^th annual Yachats Lions Annual Smelt Fry!

As the Music Festival participants arrived at the Adobe Resort, the headquarters hotel, the Smelt Fry organizers were putting the final touches on the smelt shack; the cooking headquarters for the fry and the village was coming alive. While the Music Festival is a well orchestrated event where most artists perform in each concert, either in solo or ensemble pieces, and is sponsored by Four Seasons Concerts of Berkeley California, the Smelt Fry is a small town version of a “all you can eat” party where Lions and volunteers perform a variety of tasks ranging from making pies, and cooking smelt, to providing entertainment for the eaters.

Ironically both events seem totally different, yet actually share many of the Music Festival attendees and the Smelt Fry aficionados. Both events are within yards of one another, the Music Festival is held at the Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, and the Smelt Fry is in back of the Yachats Commons next to the church. By Saturdays show time at the Music Festival the Smelt was gone so people headed to the Music Festival. At the Smelt Fry tow musical groups had wailed away, door prizes were given over the PA system and conversation filled the air. The picnic tables were full, pies were sold and the Smelt were being consumed with great pleasure! Just a short time later the church was filled with the magnificent music and vocals in a mostly classical repertoire often augmented by jazz, Latin, Flamenco, Spirituals and Broadway melodies. The sounds of pianos, violins, guitars, and bassoons were provided by the Artists–in-residence who came to Yachats from around the world and looked forward to sharing their art with the crowd.

It’s a neat sight to watch the very diverse gathering of festival and fry goers having a good time munching on Ocean Silver Surf Smelt then heading out to enjoy a Prelude to Bach’s Suite #1, then perhaps a Paganini Caprice, and maybe a “Opera For People Who Hate Opera” presented by soprano Louise Toppin!.

It’s been said the Oregon coast is the place to be in the summer and I’m certainly seconding that statement! Enjoy.

To reach Rick Schultze email yarick@pioneer.net.