The Simple Magic of Finding a Glass Float

Visitors have been traveling to the coast for the past 25 years in hopes of finding their very own glass float. In fact, during the last quarter century, Explore Lincoln City's Finders Keepers program has secretly placed 75,000 floats on Lincoln City beaches for excited locals and visitors to find. The program started as a unique idea to welcome visitors to the beach in the new millennium and blossomed into a strong tradition and became a part of Lincoln City’s identity, culminating in an extensive 25th year anniversary celebration. This year, Explore Lincoln City looks to return the program to its roots and invites visitors to rediscover the simple magic of finding a glass float on the beach.

Imagine the exhilaration of walking a beach shrouded in fog and misty drizzle, perhaps to beachcomb for shells and agates from the surf, but then catching the sparkle of light filtered through a colorful glass float on the sand that has been waiting to be found? Or maybe it’s a sunny morning, and the mist is evaporating in the rising heat of the day; when a run or wellness walk to the edge of the tide yields the perfectly placed glass float nestled down next to some driftwood? It could also be a trip through the sand to the edge of the ocean with the hopes of finding one of these glass treasures that are carefully placed along the shore.

Search the beach for floats anytime from dawn until dusk; floats are placed multiple times throughout the day above the high tide line and below the beach embankment, although many of the people who have discovered them say that they found them when they weren’t even looking. Every hidden float has instructions that explain how to register it online or by phone so that organizers know that the float has been found. Floats can also be registered in person at the Lincoln City Welcome Center, located at 801 SW Hwy 101, 4th floor, open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, and don’t forget to share a photo and brief description on social media. When the float has been registered, Finders Keepers will issue and send a certificate of authenticity and information about the artist who made it. Treasure hunters are asked to limit their search to one float per household, per year, so that others may have the opportunity to find their own float too.

Finders Keepers evolved from the Millennium Float project, which began in the late 1990’s when a group of local glass artists decided to hide handmade floats along the seven miles of Lincoln City beach to replicate Japanese fishing floats that washed up on the shoreline during most of the 20th Century. The dazzling blue and green Japanese floats were used by fishers to hold up their nets, and often the floats would break free and eventually wash up along the Pacific coast. Most of the authentic fishing floats were round and measured in size from two inches to two feet, although some were elongated in the shape of a rolling pin.

Air inside the Japanese floats enabled them to travel thousands of miles across the ocean and wash up on local beaches. The original fishing floats were the most prized find of both seasoned and novice beachcombers alike, but they became increasingly rare by the 1990’s as less expensive plastic floats introduced midcentury completely replaced the glass floats over time. Many authentic glass floats are now found as decoration in homes and businesses, and the North Lincoln County Historical Museum features multiple displays showcasing historic glass fishing floats, making it will worth a visit.

During the Finders Keepers 25th Anniversary Celebration, local glass artists held in-person events to demonstrate the float making process, a series of distinct teal and orange metallic floats were created, commemorative glass coins were distributed at special events and mailed to those who found and registered floats, collectable post cards and posters were made available, and Finders Keepers IPA was introduced by Beachcrest Brewing Company.

Finders Keepers | 2026 Season

For 2026, Finders Keepers returns back to the tradition, artistry, and the quiet joy of finding a handcrafted float along the shore. This season, the program places less focus on competition and planned hunts; instead the emphasis will be on resurrecting the feeling of “just happening upon” a piece of coastal history that is akin to finding a beautiful shell to treasure.

That doesn’t mean that fewer floats will be hidden in 2026. Finders Keepers “Float Fairies” will continue to hide more than 3,000 floats throughout the year, with drops nearly every day. And though the heart of the program will be rooted in the quiet magic of discovery, there will be six special drops, that will honor local traditions and community partners.

The special drop dates for 2026 will be:

• January 9-11, 2026: Opening Weekend: Kick-off the new season of Finders Keepers—100 floats will be dropped.
• February 6-16, 2026: Retro Expo: Explore Lincoln City’s antique and vintage shops for retro gold, and take to the beach to look out for 100 Japanese antique-style floats during the Retro Expo.
• April 22-25, 2026: Earth Day: Celebrate Earth Day with beach cleanups and a seaside surprise—50 floats will be dropped along the beach.
• June 19-20, 2026: Chinook Winds Casino Resort, 31st Anniversary Celebration: To celebrate the anniversary of Chinook Winds Casino Resort, 31 special floats will be dropped.
• September TBD: Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival: Find one before it flies away—10 floats are scheduled for the Fall Kite Festival.
• October 30-November 1, 2026: Halloween: 50 glass floats will be dropped for Halloween. It’s no trick—if you find one, it’s yours to keep.
  
  Be sure to check the dates closer to planned events as they may change due to adverse weather conditions like King Tides, high surf advisories or unsafe beach conditions.

Explore Lincoln City's theme for Finders Keepers 2026 is From Fire to Finder, which seeks to visually explore the two halves of every float’s story: it’s fiery beginning to its fateful discovery. At the center is a striking match cut, the same float seen in two worlds: once glowing and molten in the artist’s hands, and again, cool and complete, resting on the beach, waiting.

Stop into the Lincoln City Welcome Center located at 801 SW Hwy 101, 4th floor, open Monday through Friday 8 AM - 5PM and grab the 2026 version of the Finders Keepers poster.

Planning a trip to the beach to search for a float or participate in any of the special drops? Follow Explore Lincoln City on Facebook and Instagram for additional Finders Keepers information, happenings, and other fun things to do at the beach.