A working waterfront is inspiration for colorful art and creative images. The authenticity of the FisherPoets Gathering has been its strongest draw, an opportunity for the fishing community to enjoy a reunion, celebrating their lifestyle amid creative entertainment.

The annual FisherPoets Gathering is back — in person.

That’s after a cautious two years in which the weekend of music, poetry and talk switched to Zoom for safe, online entertainment during the worst phase of coronavirus health concerns.

Jon Broderick, the retired Seaside schoolteacher who began it back in 1998, says he and longtime organizer Jay Speakman are “buoyed up.”

They and their committee wondered if restrictions which curtailed togetherness for two years may diminish or even kill off the event. Not so. “We thought it might keep it kind of small and evaluate, but everyone wanted to come aboard,” Broderick said.

Events for the weekend, which begins Friday, will be spread among six venues, including the Liberty Theatre. More than 45 poets and musicians from across the United States and Canada plan to attend. The Brownsmead Flats and the Beerman Creek String Band will be among musical performers.

Workshops are scheduled on how to write and perform poetry and music; there is even one on using the technology of podcasting to preserve oral storytelling traditions. Serious topics to be addressed include wild salmon runs, greenhouse gas pollution and healthy oceans.

The last in-person FisherPoets Gathering was February 2020, three weeks before pandemic restrictions began. That year, organizers distributed 2,000 event buttons to attendees, poets and volunteers. On the Saturday night of the gathering, every seat at every venue was occupied.

Broderick said organizers are not sure how many people will attend this year. But they are delighted that a younger demographic is stepping up to lead. Amanda Gladics, a coastal fisheries expert with the Oregon Sea Grant, and Erica Clark, who moved to the North Coast from Alaska after years in fishing and seafood marketing, have brought new energy to the project, he said.

The gathering will have health safety protocols set by the venues, in collaboration with the Clatsop County Public Health Department.

One highlight will be a session to commemorate the deaths of performers who have died during the two years the gathering moved online. These include Jon Campbell, a Rhode Island Hall of Fame musician who offered what broadcaster Joanne Rideout called a “smart, curmudgeonly take on the culture of fishing,” and Harlan Bailey, of Martinez, California, described in his obituary as “a legendary Bristol Bay fisherman.”

The Library of Congress has recognized as the FisherPoets Gathering as part of its “Local Legacies” project. After a remarkable 25 years, it continues to be impressive in its authenticity, a splendid way of reflecting the culture and heritage of the lifestyle on which our community is built.