By TIM HIRSCH
of the Sun

All eyes will be on Pacific City’s dory fleet — both past and present — when the community and area visitors gather around a three-day celebration of its historic impact, current practices and future dreams. With the theme of “Long May She Wave” paying tribute to both the longstanding tradition of dory fishing in Pacific City and our nation’s recent milestone birthday, the 2026 Dory Days celebration, set for July 17-19, will feature a parade, fish fry, artisan fair, children’s activities, historical displays, pancake breakfast, live music and more.

As always, the highlight of the weekend is the parade, which will wind its way from the Tillamook County boat ramp just off of Sunset Drive, over the Beachy Bridge, through downtown Pacific City before finishing at Chester’s Market. With participants expected to run the gamut from classic double-ender dories to more modern crafts, from a 30-foot long salmon entry to fire engines, plus floats featuring Grand Marshal Rob Kliever and this year’s Dory Days princesses — Junior Princess Jocelyn Kellow and Senior Princess Ana Wehrley, it will offer an eclectic and creative flair.

“It’s really centered around a unique boat — the dory,” said Arica Sears, board member of the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association, which, together with the Pacific City-Nestucca Valley Chamber of Commerce, is putting on the event. “It’s probably the one opportunity to see this variety of (dory) boats in one spot. It’s a type of boat that has been in this area for a long time.”

She added it’s important to celebrate the dory fishing tradition because it’s so much a part of the community.

“I think it’s important to celebrate the dory fleet in this way because it allows (a way for) non dory boat owners and families to feel a part of this community of dory fishing. I think it’s important that people feel this local pride and how unique our dory fleet is.”

And the importance of community was also highlighted by Jeremy Strober, president of the PCNV Chamber of Commerce.

“Dory Days is the quintessential small town summer festival,” he told the Sun. “I love the unique character and personality of Dory Days, the celebration of our community’s history and culture, and how it brings so many people together to have a good time. Dory Days reminds both visitors and residents of why our community is special.”

The historical element and preservation of the tradition is also an important element.

“Dory Days is one of Pacific City’s most important cultural celebrations, and its significance comes directly from the long, unique history of the Pacific City Dory Fleet and the mission of the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association,” said Ray Monroe, co-chair of PCDA. “(It) honors a 115‑year tradition of launching flat‑bottomed dory boats through the surf at Cape Kiwanda — a practice found nowhere else on the West Coast. It’s a community festival that celebrates the heritage, skills, and stories of the dorymen and women who have shaped Pacific City’s identity for more than a century.”

Dory Days Royalty

Grand Marshal Rob Kleiver came to Pacific City for the first time in 1967 when he could first drive. At that time, he says all he had ever fished for was trout with his dad. That changed around 1971 when he fished a dory for the first time with Brad Foster in the Fosters Folly. After a few years fishing with Foster, in 1974, together with his dad, he had a boat built at PC Boat Works — the one and only dory he’s owned. He’s fished it every year since.

“Living in PC is a dream for me,” he says. “Dory fishing is what brought me here and kept me here.”

Currently a fourth-grader at Nestucca Valley School District, Jocelyn Kellow is the granddaughter of Ron and Julie Kellow and the daughter of Shelby and Nolan Kellow. She represents the seventh generation of the Kellow family in the Nestucca Valley.

Both of her great-great-grandfathers, from the Kellow and Schulmerich families, were skilled wooden boat builders who launched their vessels from Cape Kiwanda and fished the Nestucca River. Her great-great-uncle, Howard Kellow, designed and built one of the first square-ended dories launched from the beach —revolutionizing the traditional double-ended design.

This legacy continued through her grandfather Ron and great uncle Wes, who helped design, build, and fish the renowned Dark Star, a dory that has proudly appeared in many Dory Days parades. Jocelyn has participated in almost every dory parade since she was a baby, and, in her free time, she plays sports and is an excellent student at Nestucca.

Nestucca High School senior Ana Wehrley is the granddaughter of Mike and Pam Sears and the daughter of Molly Sears and Adam Wehrley. She is the fifth generation of the Sears family in Tierra del Mar.  Her great grandfather and great-great grandfather Brick and Jack Gilman were skilled dory builders and fishermen in the Pacific City area. Her great grandfather Bill Sears ran a sporting goods shop in Pacific City and competed in the original dory derby races around the rock with his brother Ed Sears in their double ender, the Lois Ann. The Sears Dory, The White Cap, built by Jack Gilman in 1975, has proudly appeared in every Trick or Treat the Dory Fleet and many Dory Days parades. This dory is still fished out of Pacific City by the Sears family. Ana is an excellent student at Nestucca and has been the lead in many Nestucca musicals over the past few years.

More than a Parade

Though the parade may be where the spotlight shines the brightest on Dory Days, there’s plenty of activities all weekend that will point to the historical significance of Pacific City’s dory fleet, a history that earned the event the honor of being named an Oregon Heritage Tradition. First up is the Artisan Market planned for all three days — 11.am.-5 p.m. on July 17, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., July 18, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on July 19. Billed as a chance for visitors to browse an eclectic collection of handcrafted items, the booths will feature goods such as hand-poured candles, artisan jams, custom leatherwork, tie-dyed apparel, coastal-inspired artwork, metal sculptures, wood-turned creations, handmade pet treats, textiles, home décor, and more. Also featured on opening day will be a concert featuring the country-rock sounds of crowd-favorite Countryfied, who will power the festival through the first night during a performance at Kiawanda Community Center, 34600 Cape Kiwanda Dr., Pacific City. Admission is $20 for adults (16 and under free).

Revelers can then get ready for the parade by partaking in a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, starting at 7 a.m. Running until 10 a.m., the breakfast is a fundraiser for the Nestucca Volunteer Firefighters Association. Plates featuring pancakes, eggs, sausage, ham, and beverages are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.

Also beginning at 7 a.m. at KCC will be “Launching through the Surf: The Dory Fleet of Pacific City”, a 24-panel exhibit of the fleet’s history that is part of a collaborative history project begun in 2011 by Linfield University and the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association. It will be open through 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 18 and from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday, July 19.

The continuing effort is the culmination of interviews with more than 100 individuals associated with the dory fleet — whether that be via fishing, buying fish or building dories. Officials say the collection preserves the voices closest to Pacific City’s dory tradition and the life of the “Home of the Dory Fleet.”

The traveling exhibit follows more than a hundred years of history, a history that includes building dories and launching them into the Pacific. It also tells stories behind the original Dory Derby through current Dory Days celebrations, as well as PCDA’s Memorial Wall and their annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. Recent photography by Tyrone Marshall and Sandy Weedman are also a part of the exhibit.

Following the parade, fresh and local tastes will be the theme as Kiawanda Community Center hosts a fish fry from noon-5 p.m. Managed by volunteers and local celebrity chef Ben Johnson from the Sportsman Pub-n-Grub, each plate at this fundraiser for the Pacific City Nestucca Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association includes fresh caught fish by local fisherman Marcus Geil, a third-generation commercial fisherman who fishes from a traditional Pacific City dory, as well as coleslaw, baked beans, and a roll. The meals are $19 for adults and $13 for kids 12 and under. Musical entertainment will be a part of the fun, too, as multi-faceted musician Bret Lucich will serenade diners. 

Other family-friendly activities at the celebration will be free face painting and games, July 18, noon-4 p.m., at KCC, a free kids treasure hunt at Pelican Brewing-Pacific City, 33180 Cape Kiwanda Dr., 1-2 p.m., and an evening of Bingo at KCC, 6-9 p.m. where Bingo cards will be $1 each.

A final chance at hearing directly from dorymen and women will be a Sunday afternoon panel titled “Dory Fishers: Sand Kickin’ and Story Tellin.’” Inspired by the “Launching Through the Surf: The Dory Fleet of Pacific City” traveling exhibition, this storytelling event brings the exhibit’s oral histories to life through the voices of the dory community itself. This free event invites visitors to hear directly from the fishermen and families whose lives have been shaped by the sea.

“Dory Days is a celebration of Pacific City’s identity — a living tradition that blends fishing heritage, community pride, and cultural preservation,” Monroe said. “It’s not just a festival; it’s a reminder of the resilience and uniqueness of the dory fleet and the people who keep it alive.”

For more information about the 2026 Dory Days celebration, visit pacificcitydorydays.com, where those interesting in participating in the parade can also download a parade participation form.

CURRENT ISSUE