Uncategorized Archives - Cannon Beach Vacation Rentals

Feb 23 2023

Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest Celebrates #59 in June

Is there anything as Summer-y at the beach as building sandcastles with friends and family? In Cannon Beach, Oregon that feeling is packed into one big day in June for thousands to enjoy together. Join in an Oregon Heritage Tradition at the 2023 Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest Saturday, June 10, 2023 and experience Cannon Beach up close and on the sand! For one weekend in June, the village opens the beach for the teams of professional, amateur and family sandcastle builders for a Saturday full of fun and art on the beach. Wandering through the creation zone, you can admire the techniques of the sand artists; note that they are sponsored by area business folk who play “Plot Buddy” and cheer on their team with snacks, refreshments and support.

Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest Roots

Did You Know? After a tsunami in 1964, locals wanted visitors to know the town was still standing and open and the first Sandcastle Contest was born. The opportunity to get out on the beach and construct on a large scale is too good to pass up, so architects compete in groups called Sand Fleas, Juniors, Teens, Small Group, Large Group, and Masters. They must use only natural materials from the beach (shells, sticks, rocks, etc) and there’s no adhesives allowed. Tens of thousands of visitors fill the village, and cars park out on the beach like the old days. Oregon’s beaches are uniquely all public, and in the earliest days, served as a roadway along the coastline.

Sandcastle Contest vs Sandcastle Weekend

The Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest and special park-on-the-beach fun is one day only, Saturday. It starts early (there’s often a pancake breakfast at the American Legion) because the whole contest has to happen between the tides. Builders begin filling in their sand plots, the volunteer firefighters fund raise with hot dog sales and for just a day, it’s easy to slip back in time to simpler days. The large-scale construction adds to the fun and the crowds move between projects, watching the progress and techniques. Each build chooses a theme and the playfulness and humor in the entries show off the creative talent of Cannon Beach. An awards ceremony wraps up the building day, and it’s a rush to get the vehicles off the beach before the tide comes in.

This destination event adds extra fun added around Saturday so you can make a Sandcastle weekend away out of it! There’s often a small gathering at Friday afternoon’s contest registration, and a sing along beach bonfire on Saturday with s’mores, guitars and singalongs. Sunday sees everyone up early for a 5K Singing Sands Fun Run/Walk on the beach.

Save The Date: 59^th Annual Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest – Saturday, June 10, 2023

Join us at the beach for the 59^th Annual Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest Saturday, June 10, 2023! To make the most of your Cannon Beach weekend away, book a Cannon Beach vacation home, and do it soon. This popular weekend is the start of the summer season and regularly sells out early. If you can’t make it to town this year, remember that you can still get your collector’s poster and other Sandcastle swag online at the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce website.

Jan 10 2023

Cannon Beach Restaurants We Recommend!

They say the fresh ocean breeze whips up your appetite and it couldn’t happen in a better place than Cannon Beach, Oregon! Cannon Beach restaurants are recognized world-wide for their patient attention to detail, an abundance of local fresh ingredients and the chefs’ creative talents. Your beach adventures will whet your appetite when you’re in town; try some of our favorite Cannon Beach restaurants!

Cannon Beach Smokehouse and Charcuterie

131 W 2nd St,

The most important thing to know about locals’ favorite eats place Cannon Beach Smokehouse and Charcuterie is that they have a belly-busting breakfast sandwich on the menu ALL DAY. The next thing to know is, if there is a wait, wait. It will be worth it! Taking a couple of stools at the bar will let you chat with the barkeep and linger over charcuterie boards to die for … duck is on the daily menu! There’s no other Cannon Beach restaurant where you’ll find fresh fried pork rinds (!!) and hand-dipped corn dogs on the menu. All the treats you love, with a grown up twist. Meats available to take home by the pound, because that bacon….

Cannon Beach Hardware & Public House

1235 S Hemlock

“Honey, I’m off to the hardware store!” It sounds so innocent, and it really IS a hardware store but the secret/not so secret is this popular hangout is also a Cannon Beach restaurant with some of the best food in town! Obviously casual (it’s nicknamed the Screw & Brew), this Midtown bar/shop/stop has a little parking out front, but hopefully you’ll be on foot before you imbibe. A strong menu of sandwich staples (and fish n’ chips of course) will fuel up your afternoons on the beach. Stand out items include the tots and the Willapa Bay oyster shooter, served up fresh from the sea with house made cocktail sauce.

Mi Corazon Mexican Cuisine

140 S Hemlock St suite A

A Mexican restaurant worth the coastal trip for a meal alone, Mi Corazon’s unique menu is full of fresh, local and mostly organic ingredients. If you see something unfamiliar, don’t hesitate to ask your server for pointers; there are lots of special flavors and ingredients here. Margaritas here are special too, made with fresh ingredients and unique fruit and spice combinations. It’s a really different Cannon Beach restaurant vibe, and shows how the dining options on the coast are growing up and getting better.

Driftwood Restaurant & Lounge

179 N Hemlock St

Home to all the coastal classics you crave, the Driftwood’s been doing this for 75 years and have definitely kept up with the times. Homemade Clam Chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, a Dungeness Crab Roll and Steamed sweet Willapa Bay clams are stand outs in a surf n’ turf heavy menu with something for all the tastes in your group. If you’re all about the deck life, go no further; this is the best deck in town. Gas heaters keep you toasty on cloudy days and you’ve got all the people watching you can take in the middle of downtown.

The Wayfarer

1190 Pacific Dr

When your Cannon Beach restaurant is at the foot of 235 feet-tall Haystack Rock, you could rely on that draw, but The Wayfarer has decades’ worth of consistently delicious food, prepared with attention to service, detail and classic recipes to keep guests returning. Participants in the North Coast Food Trail, their menu focuses on local, and seasonal ingredients: the freshest seafood, produce from their own farm and from their related brewery. The attached Wayfarer Whiskey Lounge is a warm and friendly place to have drinks designed by the US Bartender’s Guild’s “Most Imaginative Bartender”.

Castaways Global Cuisine

308 N Fir St

Honest to Goonies, there isn’t a thing on this menu you won’t love. Unique Caribbean and Creole combinations are the inspiration for many dishes, but not for weak copies. Instead, the Jambalaya, Coconut shrimp, Crab Fritters, Jerk Chicken and many changing specials show off the creative, fresh and seasonal fare from the Castaways kitchen. Small, informal and family owned and operated, Castaways has become a staple Cannon Beach restaurant. Reservations recommended.

Dec 15 2022

Haystack Holidays Celebrates the Season!

Cannon Beach is famous for its Haystack Rock, a 235’ monolith that dominates the beach vistas and identifies this special Oregon coast town. The big rock inspires the Haystack Holidays celebrations that are a signature winter event in Cannon Beach. Caroling, concerts, contests… There’s a host of unique activities and merriment galore at the beach.

Small-town Holiday Charm to Spare

At its heart, Cannon Beach is a coastal village, and a charming, small-town holiday season is just what we do here! Haystack Holidays is the collective name for the winter holiday activities that include visitors and locals alike starting in November. Galleries, boutiques and unique shops invite you in out of the drizzle, decked in evergreens, fairy lights and ribbons, with gift shopping, concerts, community events and more.

We Celebrate ALL the Winter Holidays

While Christmas may get most of the attention in December, there are so many holidays to celebrate that you’re sure to find a new tradition to add to your own. Diwali, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa or the New Year, all holidays are recognized here, pushing back the darkness and celebrating with our family and friends. Cannon Beach’s Haystack Holidays are a fresh way to celebrate your holiday season, at the beach!

Cannon Beach is a Winter Vacation Secret

As unusual as the past few years have been, vacation schedules have been jumbled up! Many people think of vacation as a summer activity, but a winter vacation is just what’s needed to break up the calendar and refresh your spirit. The Winter Holidays are a perfect time to vacation with your family, out of the usual routine; reconnect and spend time together! Beach hikes, local dining, dazzling sunsets… It doesn’t have to be 80 degrees to be a vacation!

Take a Winter Vacation in the “Magic Season”

Already known as an artists community for its world-class galleries and workshops, Cannon Beach is special in many ways. One of them is a restriction on neon lighting and another keeps shopping mall chain stores at bay, so you’ll always find unique, often singular, gifts and works of art to memorialize your stay in Cannon Beach and the peace and tranquility you find here. When the days are short, we turn indoors for our fun so there’s a busy live music schedule, classes, lectures and theatre to add to your CB activities.

Holiday Events for 6 Festive Weeks

Caroling, crafting and cookies lead the list of events in Cannon Beach that are open for all visitors and townsfolk; Haystack Holidays has a full calendar of holiday events to enhance your winter visit. The season kicks off with WOW, a special pre holiday getaway event designed to pamper and center you before things get too busy. Mimosa Madness is a shopping weekend after Thanksgiving filled with deals, drinks and warm feels all the way through Giving Tuesday. The calendar is also full with theater, wreath making, a cookie contest and Santa story time and visits. The traditional lamp lighting ceremony is a community caroling day, with the Library’s Holiday Tea as a warmup. Painting classes and special concerts fill up the event schedule and the final week of the year is reserved for Holiday Foods Around the World, when Cannon Beach restaurants highlight different cultures in addition to their regular menus.

Your Own Beach Vacation House

Of course, the best way to enjoy the Haystack Holidays in Cannon Beach is from your own cozy beach vacation house! We have a wide variety to suit your group, from a house for 12 to a cottage for two; does an oceanfront house charm you more? We have a wonderful selection and aim to make our vacation house your home!