Mayfly Festival celebrates the Coos Watershed

It’s the time of year to celebrate life in the Coos Watershed with a festival featuring perhaps a not-so-glamorous, yet very important local creature – the mayfly.

The Coos Watershed Association is holding their annual Mayfly Festival at Mingus Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.

“Mayflies have a totally crazy life cycle and are truly fascinating creatures – so we decided to name a festival after them,” said Coos Watershed Association’s Outreach Program Manager Alexa Carleton.

Mayflies are a tiny insect that live in local streams and rivers. They are bio-indicators because they can only live in healthy water. They are also a food source for salmon.

“Without mayflies, there would be no salmon,” Carleton said.

“They also symbolize healthy water, connectivity, rebirth, and the roles that humans can play in helping ecosystems thrive,” she said.

The Coos Watershed Association has been putting on the Mayfly Festival, along with other local community groups, since 2017.

Carleton said if there is ever a year to go to the festival, this is the year. The festival will feature many of the tried-and-true activities and vendor booths from past years. The event is also growing by leaps and bounds with nine new booths this year.

Coos Watershed Association staff said they designed the Mayfly Festival to shine light on connections between the community, the environment, and water through hands-on activities, games, live music, science, and art.

“This event is a little different from others in our area,” Carleton said.

“It’s the only one where you can dip a net into Mingus Pond to see what lives there – above and underwater – see live salmon, mayflies, and birds, make a costume, or join a Procession of the Species parade around the park. You can also learn about fish, insects, compost, gardening, marine debris, and the connections between human health and environmental health,” she said.

The event is very kid-friendly. Organizers said it is very adult-friendly too.

“There's plenty to do for adults. If you want to know what's happening in your watershed, all the people are going to be here to tell you about it,” Carleton said.

Local experts will be on hand to answer questions on everything from, ‘What plants should I plant in my garden?’ or ‘What’s happening with fish in our watershed?’ to ‘How can I get involved in activities this summer or volunteer?’

“We have collected all the people that are involved with stewardship and put them in one place for the day. And we really want people to come connect with them,” Carleton said.

In addition to the vendor booths, activities and programs being held throughout the day – the festival will feature two of the most important aspects of a fun community event – great food and live music.

Carleton said she looks forward to having an all-local and sustainably-made albacore tuna sandwich from Sea Kitty Seafoods at the festival every year.

“They are to die for!” she said.

The folks at the Coos Head Food Co-op will also be on hand providing healthy snacks and sandwiches – including kid-friendly options.

Local legends ‘Sly & Company’ will be playing a concert in the park from 1 to 3 p.m. to get everyone moving.

The staff and volunteers at Coos Watershed Association said they hope those who attend the Mayfly Festival feel like they are part of something bigger.

“We all live in a watershed and can play a role in keeping it healthy. The actions we take every day —even small ones, like where or how we wash our cars — can have huge impacts on the watershed,” Carleton said. “In a world where there are so many problems, we have a chance to be part of something ‘good’ locally and make a positive impact, both for ourselves and for all the other critters that call this watershed home.”

While the event is free, organizers said it is a good idea to bring some cash for food, swag and raffles. Carleton said it is also a good idea to bring a box or bag to carry take-home items from vendor booths.

For more information about the Mayfly Festival, including a full schedule of events, visit the Coos Watershed Association’s website at www.cooswatershed.org. Updates can also be found on the Coos Watershed Association’s Facebook page.