Oct. 25, 2022 — It’s that time of year again, when the community of Florence and cult exploding-whale lovers across the globe memorialize the famous whale occurrence. It happened one fateful afternoon on the shores of Florence, 52 years ago, on Nov. 12, 1970.

A public 52nd Anniversary Exploding Whale Memorial celebration is planned for Saturday, Nov. 12, from noon to 8 p.m. at Homegrown Public House and Brewery, 24 Laurel Street in Historic Old Town Florence. The celebration is open-house, family friendly, a little quirky — and a lot of fun.

From noon to 3 p.m., people can come out to meet tide-pool expert Jamie Kish, from the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve Collaborative, and representatives from the Elakha Alliance, who will be present to share about local marine efforts and natural habitats.

Don’t miss the 2 p.m. public toast to the whale and meet special mer-guest, Mermaid Shannon, who will be giving a reading and signing of her children’s book, “Turtles want Teammates,” which will also be for sale. Come and take advantage of photo opportunities with this real live mermaid and maybe even a merman throughout the afternoon.

Florence’s official-unofficial whale mascots, Flo and Rence will also be present to visit and take photos with. Another toast will be at 6 p.m.

All are encouraged to bring small offerings and homages to the whale to be placed at the art installation on the east side of Homegrown. The exhibit is meant to be fanciful, fun and will naturally evolve throughout the day into the evening when it glows with lights and the reflections of the colorful contributions. Wearing fun costumes is encouraged.

Don’t miss a visit to the Exploding Whale exhibit at the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum across the street from Homegrown at 278 Maple Street, open from noon to 4 p.m. The exhibit has actual whale bones from the honored whale and the museum is full of interesting Florence historical displays.

People can also check out the Whale Trail Map of Florence businesses offering activities and “whaley” cool items for sale to commemorate the occasion. Learn more at www.xplodingwhale.com, on Facebook @ILoveForence97439 and will also be available at the event. For more event scoops or to join The Whale Trail, contact 541-991-8213 or [email protected].