Treasure hunters can discover one of 20 limited-edition glass floats blown in the Lincoln City Glass Center and hidden by float fairies on Wednesday along the seven-mile stretch of beach from Roads End to Siletz Bay.

To celebrate 20 years of Finders Keepers, float fairies hide 20 floats on the beach on the 20th of every month through September.

20 YEARS OF FINDERS KEEPERS: OCT 13, 2018 – OCT 18, 2019

Let the hunt begin and discover glass treasures in Lincoln City every day of the year! Our army of Float Fairies covertly hits our seven miles of public beach hiding handcrafted glass floats along their way, from Roads End on the north to Siletz Bay on the south.

We put out over 3,000 floats each year for you to find and keep. Get out there and find yours!

HOW TO FIND GLASS FLOATS

THE BASIC RULES OF THE HUNT

• Floats can be found above the high tide line and below the beach embankment
• Floats are placed on the beach during daylight hours only.
• Floats are hidden throughout the day, not just at one time.
• Floats are out there every day rain or shine. On rare occasions weather and ocean conditions can create unsafe situations, official notice of any cancellations will be made on our social media channels and website.

When you find a glass float, give us a call at 541-996-1274, text FLOATS to 24587 or visit our registration page to register your treasure. You’ll receive a Certificate of Authenticity and information about the artist who crafted your float.

Don’t forget to share a photo on our Facebook, Instagram (LincolnCityOR) or Twitter (@LincolnCityOR) pages and use #FindersKeepersLC.

A FEW TIPS AND WORDS OF ADVICE

• We use the term “hide” loosely, we want our treasures to be found!
• Start your hunt at public beach access points.
• Our Float Fairies hide floats at random times and locations…not even we know.
• The registration number is located on or near the “button” on the underside.

SPECIAL GLASS ART DROPS

In addition to the floats placed on the beach daily, we place extra floats on the beach for holidays and special occasions.

2018 – 2019 SPECIAL DROP DATES

• March 23-April 7 – Spring Break: 300 extra floats
• April 21-22 – Earth Day: 50 Earth floats
• May 11-12 – Mother’s Day: 50 extra floats
• May 25-27 – Memorial Day: 50 red, white & blue floats

TRASH FOR TREASURES & GLASS FLOAT DRAWINGS

Special drawings are held monthly at the Visitor Center for glass floats. Bring a bag of beach trash or a dated photo of your good deed to the Visitor Center inside the Lincoln City Cultural Center at 540 NE Hwy 101, and fill out an entry form to win a glass float as part of Trash for Treasures. People with disabilities who are not able to beachcomb are also eligible to enter a monthly float drawing.

HISTORY OF FINDERS KEEPERS

In days gone by, visitors searching Oregon’s beaches often found treasures from the east: blown glass floats in intriguing shades of green and blue. Used by Japanese fishing crews to float their nets, these spheres were as small as two inches or as large as two feet. They were hoarded, polished and adored, the ultimate find for a dedicated beachcomber.

Now that fishing vessels around the world use buoyant plastic, a blown glass float is a rare find – except on the beaches of Lincoln City!

The Finders Keepers project began in 1997, when a local artist first thought of glass floats as an intriguing way to launch the new millennium. Lincoln City sponsored the project, hosting the inaugural season in 1999-2000. Tourists came from around the country to search for their own brilliantly-colored, signed and numbered glass float.

For Lincoln City the Millennium Float project was a perfect combination of art and the outdoors. Those who came in search of a float often found their way to area galleries where unnumbered floats were available for sale, along with a dizzying array of fine art glass from around the world.