Special Events for this year's Gathering
(rev. 2/20)

Umpteenth Annual On-Site Poetry Contest Regs for 2025

Important Information for Columbia River Maritime Museum:
If you are interested at any events at CRMM, please scroll to the bottom of this page for important parking/construction and admission updates.

Friday, February 21

FisherPoets Gearshack
1174 Commercial St.
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Admission buttons and fisherpoets’ chapbooks, CDs and art.
Silent Auction opens Friday at 12 p.m. Bids close at 4 p.m. Saturday.

“Undersea Icons” Gyotaku Printmaking with Duncan and Melany Berry
Barbey Maritime Center West, Columbia River Maritime Museum,
2042 Marine Dr, east end of parking lot / east of construction
1 – 3:30 p.m.
Create beautiful archival prints in the Japanese gyotaku style from two of the Oregon Coasts most iconic species: The Chinook Salmon and Giant Pacific Octopus.
*$100/person (Click here for tickets.)
THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT.

“From the Page to the Stage” with Will Hornyak, Ron McDaniel, Tele Aadsen, Doug Rhodes
Ford and Kern Classroom, Columbia River Maritime Museum
2042 Marine Dr, main entrance
1 – 2:15 p.m.
Grow more effective and confident on the stage. Learn good practices and methods for creating strong performances that reflect your own unique voice and style.

“Songwriting: How to break yourself off of the bar”
with Harry Moore
Hotel Elliott, downstairs meeting room
357 12th St
1 - 2:15 p.m. 
Join fisherpoet and songwriter Harry Moore for a songwriting workshop focused on tools and approaches to break yourself off the bar when you’re hard aground and floundering. Bring a song you are stuck on and come prepared to share your insights with your fellow songwriters in small groups. Harry will share insights into how he protects his personal “prop” (i.e. confidence, creative side, or self-image) when he runs aground in the songwriting process.

“The Diddliest Catch…Songwriter Support Group” with John Palmes, Mary Garvey, Brad Warren, and Jay Speakman
Ford and Kern Classroom, Columbia River Maritime Museum
2042 Marine Dr, main entrance
2:30 – 3:45 p.m.
No commiserating. Ideas and encouragement from experienced songwriters and workshop participants for those afflicted with songwriting.

FisherPoets Dance and Social
KALA
1017 Marine Dr
10 p.m.
Music with DJ D’Fish

FisherPoets at the Line, poetry slam with MC Jon Broderick
Columbian Theater
1102 Marine Dr
10 p.m.
FisherPoets go cork to cork. The audience chooses the highliner.

Saturday, February 22

FisherPoets Gearshack
1174 Commercial St
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Admission buttons and fisherpoets’ chapbooks, CDs and art.
​Silent Auction continues. Bids close at 4 p.m. Saturday. Pick up items by 6 p.m.
 
Speed Mug-Up and B.S. Session with Rob and Tiffani Seitz
South Bay Wild Fish House,
262 9th St
9 a.m.
Coffee up, make new friends and share some quick stories as you make the rounds.
 
Family Poetry Workshop with CRMM Education Department & Jennifer Nightengale, with a reading by Erica Clark-Thompson
Barbey Maritime Center West, Columbia River Maritime Museum
2042 Marine Dr, east end of parking lot / east of construction
*Free, registration required by Friday, 2/21/2025, at 5 p.m.
(Click here to register)
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Interested in gaining more comfort and experience writing and presenting poetry? Reserve your seat in this two-hour workshop with FisherPoets, Commercial Fisherfolk, and Museum Educators. Geared towards 9 – 17 year olds and their families.

Echo of the Waters: Honoring Native Fishing Traditions with Ed Edmo and friends
Ford and Kern Classrooms, Columbia River Maritime Museum
2042 Marine Dr, main entrance
10 a.m. - 12 noon
Ed Edmo, Shoshone-Bannock, Nez Perce Yakama elder (and fisherpoet), will share slides, archival film, poems, and stories from his childhood at Celilo Falls (Wyam), including memories of the Last Salmon Feast at Celilo, and the tragic day in 1957, when this sacred NW landmark was inundated by the Dalles Dam.  Additional Native poets will support Ed with drumming and poems; following formal presentation, audience is invited to join elders to tour CRMM's powerful new Cedar and Sea and ntsayka ilii ukul This is Our Place exhibits. First fifty attendees receive free admission to museum, supported by a Roundhouse Foundation grant.

“Rocks and Algae: Could they fix the climate, ease ocean acidification?” with Brad Warren of Global Ocean Health
Hotel Elliott, downstairs meeting room
357 12th St
10 – 11:15 a.m.
Two emerging methods for cleaning up carbon pollution are rocks and algae do the work by trapping carbon in minerals and biomass. Are they safe for sea life? Can they deliver? Global Ocean Health’s annual workshop at FPG takes a look.

“Knot Tying and Line Splicing” with Dano Quinn and friends
Pier 39
100 39th St
10 – 11:15 a.m.
Make yourself useful with line. Once you know a bowline you’ll wonder how you lived without it.

“Coast Salish Canoes” with Leslie Lincoln
Kern Classroom, Columbia River Maritime Museum
2042 Marine Dr, main entrance
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
A history of Coast Salish Canoes and the beginnings of Tribal Journeys with Leslie Lincoln.

“Inside Working Boats” with Tom Crestodina
Ford Classroom, Columbia River Maritime Museum
2042 Marine Dr, main entrance
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Join Tom Crestodina, an Alaska fisherman and author illustrator, as he shares a behind the scenes look at his illustration process and previews his upcoming book Working Boats: Safety Survival and Rescue.

“An Update from SalmonState” with Melanie Brown
Hotel Elliott, downstairs meeting room
357 12th St
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Bristol Bay set netter and wild salmon advocate, Melanie Brown, will share the state of wild salmon in Alaska through the work that SalmonState is focused on from the Northwest coast around to the Unuk River of Southeast Alaska.

Telling Y(our) Seafood Story with Sunny Rice and Jenna Keaton
Pacifick Distillers
55 4th St
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Join Sea Grant faculty Sunny Rice and Jenna Keaton for a workshop on how to apply storytelling and narrative techniques to selling seafood directly to the public. Even if you aren’t a direct marketer, you can gain insights on telling your own personal story. Come prepared to write.

“Sea Chantey Sing Along” with Dano Quinn, Mary Garvey and friends
Pier 39
100 39th St
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Sing shanties and ballads with Dano Quinn and Mary Garvey and friends.

“Innovations from the Iceland Ocean Cluster” with Dr. Alex Leeper, Marcus Hinz, and Rob Seitz
Ford Classroom, Columbia River Maritime Museum
2042 Marine Dr, main entrance
2 – 3:15 p.m.
Join Dr. Alexandra Leeper (CEO of the Iceland Ocean Cluster), Marcus Hinz (Oregon Ocean Cluster, OCVA) and local fisherman Rob Seitz to learn about the science, technology, and market economics of Iceland Ocean Cluster's 100% Fish Utilization project and local initiatives to support seafood systems and keep more value from our seafood on the Oregon coast.

CANCELLED: “Commercial Salmon Reefnetting” with Pete and Deb Granger
Join longtime commercial salmon reefnetters, Pete & Deb Granger, and learn about this Coast Salish peoples' form of harvesting salmon in the Salish Sea. Reefnetting, unique to the Salish Sea, harvests salmon using sustainable and selective methods. **This workshop has been Cancelled.

“Dams and Traffic Jams” with Graham Klag
Pacifick Distillers
55 4th St
2 – 3:15 pm
Graham Klag will share how the North Coast Watershed Association is mitigating the effects of hatchery dams on salmon migration without impacting their ability to raise fish and their approach to addressing a chemical derived from tires (6PPD-Quinone) that has devastating effects on coho salmon.

“Women in Fishing Careers”
Cambium Gallery and Café
1030 Duane St
2 – 3:15 p.m.
Calling young people interested in learning more about careers in fishing and upcoming local training opportunities. Hear stories from the sea from experienced women in fishing and learn how they found success, then learn a fun fishing skill. Featured speakers include: Emily Waddington, Tele Aadsen, Kat Murphy, and Maggie Parish.
This workshop is organized by Oregon Sea Grant and the OSU Extension Service, which prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities and materials.

Open-Mic
WineKraft Wine Bar
77 11th St (end of 10th St, west end of Pier 11)
2 – 4 p.m.
Host Rebecca Kraft invites you to drop in with friends and have a short go.
Sign up on site. All are welcome.

Harmony Singing with John Palmes
Hotel Elliott, downstairs meeting room
357 12th St
2:00 – 3:15 pm
Learn how to make up harmony vocals. We use some basic music theory to demonstrate how it works. Then we feel our way through the chord changes and improvise 3 parts. Teachers, and anyone who leads singers, should find this way to understand harmony and music theory particularly useful.

"Icons of the Sea" solo show and “Netted" group show with Duncan Berry and poet friends
RiverSea Gallery
1160 Commercial St
2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
(Poetry readings at 3:00 and 3:45 p.m.)
Duncan Berry and poet friends perform amidst his "Icons of the Sea" solo show as well as his participation in the “Netted” group art show, both of which have glistening examples of his gyotaku direct impressions of coastal creatures.

Story Circle
Columbian Theater
1102 Marine Dr
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Hear commercial fishing veterans tell authentic stories, true mostly, about adventure and tedium working on the water. Jon Broderick draws out a handful of reluctant story tellers for a moderated conversation.

Campbell’s Last Set
Columbian Theater
1102 Marine Dr
4:45 - 6 p.m.
Honoring the ghosts of fisherpoets no longer with us, those yet living celebrate the works of others whom the Gathering misses and wants to remember.
 
Umpteenth Annual On-Site Poetry Contest with MC Moe Bowstern
Liberty Theatre
1203 Commercial St
10 p.m.
The 2025 rules will be announced by MCs at evening venues during the Gathering. Everybody wearing a FPG button is eligible to compete. Got one? Have a go.
 
Singers’ Gathering
WineKraft Wine Bar
77 11th St (end of 10th St, west end of Pier 11)
10 p.m.
Didn’t get enough at Pier 39 this morning? Still feel like singing with friends? Drop in.

Sunday, February 23

FisherPoets Gathering Harmony Gospel Sing
Columbian Theater
1102 Marine Dr
9 a.m.
 Just for Fun

FisherPoets Gathering Farewell Mic
Columbian Theater
1102 Marine Dr
10 a.m. – 12 noon
A very brief farewell read from lots of lingering scheduled fisherpoets.
 
All Weekend, February 21-23
 
Visual Arts and Other Exhibits
 
See art exhibits around town, listed here.
 
Hanthorn Cannery Museum
Pier 39
All Day
Self-guided tour of the oldest existing fish processing plant on the Columbia River.

Important Information for Columbia River Maritime Museum
PARKING AT CRMM:
All participants to FisherPoets Gathering workshops hosted at Columbia River Maritime Museum must park at the east end of the Barbey Maritime Center (2042 Marine Dr.). To access this lot, enter the parking lot on 20th Street and immediately turn right to drive between the Barbey Maritime Center (red brick building) and Warnock Model Boat Pond. Oversized vehicles can park at the far end of the stripes, standard vehicles can park in any of the striped spots. Additional signage has been added across campus to help navigate around the construction. The Riverwalk is open during construction.
WORKSHOPS AT CRMM:
Participants coming to FisherPoets Gathering workshops hosted at Columbia River Maritime Museum understand that their FPG button does not gain them access into the museum galleries or aboard Lightship Columbia. Admission to the museum can be purchased at the front desk.

AND Our THANKS again for the support of the Columbia River Maritime Museum!