The Blue Line — A Coastal Field Trip with Snacks
Saturday, February 7, 2026, 10am-5pm
Join us for a city-wide, full-day, self-guided journey through Newport’s blue economy! Each stop will introduce you to the people, places, and living systems that make up the coastal community of Newport, Oregon. Educational experiences include a tour of a sea urchin ranching and seaweed farm, and an open house highlighting local purveyors at Central Coast Food Web, pop-up broth bar (with savory fish bone broths), part of Local Ocean’s 100% Fish Program, and a Dock Walk with Oregon Sea Grant. Other stops include The Oregon Coast Aquarium, Hatfield Marine Science Center, and the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center and Local Ocean Seafoods. See full event rundown below.
Tickets start at $5 - we want this event to be accessible to all.
️Weather Check (aka: Classic Oregon Coast)
The forecast is calling for light to medium rain all day with light winds up to 15 mph.
In other words: perfect field-trip weather if you dress for it.
Sturdy, waterproof shoes + rain jackets are strongly recommended.
Umbrellas optional, good humor required
Parking (please read!) To keep traffic calm and neighbors happy, please park in these designated areas:
• Oregon Coast Aquarium: Wolf-Eel & Octopus lots
• Hatfield Marine Science Center: Visitor Center parking
• Waterfront / Bay Blvd: Street parking or Pacific Maritime Heritage Center lot
• CCFW @ Yaquina Lab: On-site lot (limited) or overflow lot just upriver
(Street parking here is discouraged for safety reasons. Look for the parking attendant in orange safety vest for real time best options)
Look for Blue Line signs at all stops — they’ll guide you.
With nearly 150 people registered, we’re gently encouraging folks to spread out across the day so everyone has a great experience.
1️⃣ If you are registered for an oyster tour at Hatfield:
• Morning: Hatfield Marine Science Center and Oregon Coast Aquarium (opens at 10am)
• Noon-ish: Waterfront stops (dock walks, Pacific Maritime Heritage Center)
• Afternoon: Yaquina Lab (tours, tastings, broth bar, pop-up shop) (closes at 4pm)
2️⃣ If you are not registered for the oyster tour (aka everyone else):
• Morning: Yaquina Lab (opens at 10am)
• Noon-ish: Waterfront stops
• Afternoon: Oregon Coast Aquarium (closes at 5pm)
3️⃣ Yaquina Lab super-fans:
If you’re mostly interested in the Yaquina Lab Food Hub, the best window to avoid crowds is between 12:30–2:30 pm.
This is still a choose-your-own-adventure day — these are just friendly suggestions to help keep things flowing smoothly (and snacks plentiful).
Important Stop Updates & Clarifications
OREGON COAST AQUARIUM
2820 SE Ferry Slip Rd., Newport. Oregon
Stop available: 10am–5pm
Drop into the classroom for interactive stations spotlighting:
• The Aquarium’s dive program
• Oregon’s marine reserves
• The Oregon Kelp Alliance
These are family-friendly, kid-approved activities.
The Blue Line activities take place in the classroom, accessed from outside the main entrance. Park in Wolf-Eel & Octopus lots. Look for the Blue Line sandwich board and the Staff & Volunteer entrance sign (that's how cool you are!). Be prepared to show your ticket (phone is fine).
✨ Just show up — and you’ll receive a $5 Aquarium admission voucher good for any future day. (We encourage you to savor that epic hours-long aquarium visit for Sunday or another day as there is so much to do and see already on Saturday.)
HATFIELD MARINE SCIENCE CENTER
2030 SE Marine Science Dr.. Newport, Oregon
Stop available: 10am–2pm
Visitor Center admission is NOT included ($5 per person, ages 5+)
Oyster research tours require separate registration. Be prepared to show your ticket (phone is fine).
Parking: Far end of the Visitor Center lot (driving upriver or East)
⛺ Look for the tent and Blue Line signage
⏰ Arrive 5 minutes before your registered tour time
⚠️ All dock tours are weather dependent.
See how science supports the seafood of the future. At Hatfield Marine Science Center, guests will explore cutting-edge mariculture research and oyster breeding that help keep coastal waters healthy and seafood systems resilient.
Together, these systems support a strong, science-driven blue economy and help ensure a sustainable future for Pacific oyster production.
⚠️ Good to know:
• Dock tour is 12+ only
• PFDs provided and required
• Weather dependent
• Additional registration required (hourly time slots; link sent after you register)
• Visitor Center admission not included ($5 per person aged 5+).
Stop Sponsor: Thompson Sanitary
PACIFIC MARITIME HERITAGE CENTER
333 SE Bay Blvd., Newport, Oregon - FREE
Stop available: 10am–4pm
Good news! Admission IS included — come on in. Parking is either up the hill or on the street.
Explore Oregon’s Beautiful & Wild Fisheries exhibit, crab films, boatbuilding exhibits, and the Creatures of the Sea art collection. Kids can dive into scavenger hunts while grown-ups soak up maritime history.
Fishing Myths & Realities at Pacific Maritime Heritage Center (1pm-2pm)
Join us for a fast-paced, interactive community program that invites the public to test what they think they know about commercial fishing—then hear directly from Oregon fishers themselves. Using live True/False voting displayed in real time, the audience weighs in on common assumptions about safety, sustainability, and life at sea, while a panel of working fishers reacts with stories, insight, and humor. Moderated by Julie Kuchepatov of SAGE, this one-hour “myth-busting” experience blends storytelling, science, and lived experience to reveal the complexity, collaboration, and care behind Oregon’s fishing communities.
PORT DOCK 5- Dock Walks with Newport Fishermen's Wives and Oregon Sea Grant
Meet at the top of Dock 5 across the street from Local Ocean Seafoods: 213 SE Bay Blvd, Newport, Oregon
Tour times: 11am, 12pm, 2:30pm
Oregon Sea Grant’s Angee Doerr and/or Newport Fishermen’s Wives’s Taunette Dixon, will lead guided dock walks.
Stop sponsor: Englund Marine
All dock walks and tours are weather dependent. Check back here as any cancelations will be posted at the top of this page.
CENTRAL COAST FOOD WEB at YAQUINA LAB
3814 Yaquina Bay Road., Newport, Oregon
Stop available: 10am–4pm
Check in with the Registration table. Look for the Blue Line Starts Here sign. Be prepared to show your ticket (phone is fine).
Follow The Flow - Experience a working food hub with tours, tastings, fish processing, and storytelling that connect science, seafood, and community from dock to pantry.
Seawater Complex Guided Tours (all day) - Peek behind the scenes of the Yaquina Lab with tours exploring urchin ranching with OoNee Sea Ranch, seaweed mariculture, and the clean seawater systems powering ocean innovation.
Local Fish Fillet Demo (12pm and 3pm) - Watch pros break down local fish and pick up tips you’ll actually use at home.
Broth Bar & Sipping Station (all day) - Sample nourishing fish broths, give feedback, and learn how 100% fish use turns “waste” into value.
Blue Pantry: Tuna Tasting (all day) celebrates how simple, healthy, and climate-smart meals can start with something as humble as Oregon troll-caught albacore tuna in a can. Chef Enrique Sanchez will be offering cooking tips and free tastes of a fresh Oregon-caught albacore & navy bean salad. Commercial Albacore fishermen will be on hand to answer questions about the fishery and the realities of searching for a fish that swims over 5,000 miles a year and can sprint up to 50 mph at sea!
Dockside Voices (all day) - A pop-up storytelling booth inviting community members to share short reflections about their personal connection to the coast—what the working waterfront means to them, what they’ve learned today, and how this place shows up in their everyday lives. The emphasis is on curiosity, care, memory, and stewardship rather than expertise.
CCFW Pop-Up Shop (all day) - A pop-up marketplace where participants can redeem their $5 registration credit for local seafood and pantry staples, while discovering the producers, makers, and mission rooted in the Yaquina Lab and the broader coastal food web. The shop highlights the power of local food systems—from dock to pantry.
Additional Snack Stops
Local Ocean Seafoods (opens at 11am) — “Lounge on the Line” - A relaxing mid-day stop for a “Cocktail for a Cause” and a complimentary bar bite.
🍴 Lingcod albóndiga (Spanish-style meatball) with ranchero sauce
🍸 Low Tide Martini -Dulse seaweed–infused Crater Lake vodka, Beefeater gin, Cocchi Americano & orange bitters
🥒 High Tide Highball (NA) -ISH NA London Botanical gin, lemon, cucumber, kombu-infused honey syrup, NA bitters & soda
🚚 Raised by Wolves Food Truck (opens at 3pm)
Next-level comfort food, seafood-forward available for purchase:
• Okonomiyaki — Japanese seafood pancake with local pink shrimp, house-smoked pork belly, cabbage, yakisoba noodles, Kewpie mayo, okonomiyaki sauce & furikake
• Tillay-o-Fish Sando — Fried Newell’s lingcod on brioche with house tartar, American cheese & lettuce
• Miso Rock Cod Chowder — Local rock cod, bacon, potato & leek in a kombu dashi broth
• Albacore Tuna Onigiri — Rice ball filled with local albacore, mayo & chili, wrapped in nori
Sadly (but responsibly), the Siletz Culinary student food truck won’t be on site tomorrow. We love supporting student learning — and sometimes that means respecting school schedules. Plenty of tastings, demos, and snacks still await you.
Winter Waters is taking over Newport, Oregon with events over the weekend of February 6-8 2026. See the full lineup HERE.
Newport is the place to be if you want to learn about sustainable seafood fisheries, aquaculture, sea life, and conservation. Plus, there’s incredible food in Newport!
If you’re traveling to Newport from out of town, we recommend coming out Friday, February 6th, so you can join us for the Marine Reserves Trivia or to make sure you get here with plenty of time to participate on the morning of Saturday, February 7th.
Please take advantage of the following accommodation deals:
Sweet Homes Vacation Rentals - 15% off the nightly rate discount specifically for bookings Feb. 6-8, 2026 at any Sweet Homes vacation rental in their collection. Use code: WINTERWATERS
The Louie Boutique Motel - 15% off the nightly rate discount specifically for bookings Feb. 6-8, 2026. Use code: WINTERWATERS
Newport Belle - 20% off the nightly rate discount specifically for bookings Feb. 5-9, 2026. Use code: WinterWaters20 (Rachelle & Alanna have both stayed here before and LOVED it)
Winter Waters is taking over Newport, Oregon with public events over the weekend of February 6-8, 2026. Huge thank you to Discover Newport and Laura Anderson of Yaquina Lab/Central Coast Foods Web for your support. Additional sponsors: Pacific Seafood, Oregon Coast Bank, Thompson’s Sanitary Service, Englund Marine, and the Oregon Albacore Commission.
See all Newport events HERE.
