LINCOLN CITY, Ore. — Lincoln City is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Finders Keepers program this year, a beachside treasure hunt that hides more than 3,000 hand-blown glass floats annually for visitors and locals to discover along seven miles of coastline.

The program, launched in 2000 to ring in the new millennium, draws inspiration from antique Japanese glass fishing floats that once washed ashore on Oregon’s coast after crossing the Pacific Ocean. Today, local artists craft the colorful orbs—featuring metallic finishes, multicolored designs evoking seascapes and sunsets, and signatures from their creators—and volunteer “Float Fairies” hide them daily, weather permitting.

Anniversary Highlights

To commemorate the milestone in 2025, organizers are dropping an extra 25 specially designed floats each month with orange, teal and metallic accents, in addition to regular hides and holiday specials. Finders who register their discoveries can receive a commemorative glass coin, available in person at the Explore Lincoln City Welcome Center or by mail. The anniversary also includes a collaboration with Beachcrest Brewing Co. in nearby Gleneden Beach, which released a limited-edition Finders Keepers IPA on draft and in cans starting Feb. 1 to promote the event and support local businesses.

Where and How Floats Are Hidden

Floats are placed during daylight hours at random times and locations above the high tide line and below the beach embankment, avoiding beach grass to protect the environment. They are hidden along the stretch from Roads End to Siletz Bay and are intended to be visible for keen-eyed searchers.

Registering Your Find

Those who find a float can register it by calling 541-996-1274, submitting online at explorelincolncity.com/register or visiting the Lincoln City Visitor Information Center at 801 SW Highway 101 (City Hall 4th floor). Registrants receive a certificate of authenticity and details about the artist. The registration number is etched on or near a “button” on the float’s underside. Rules limit finds to one per household per year, and organizers encourage sharing discoveries on social media with the hashtag #FindersKeepersLC.

Tips for Finding Glass Floats

Tips for successful hunts include starting at public beach access points, planning trips around special drops—such as extra floats for New Year’s, mid-February’s Retro Expo with 100 antique Japanese floats, Independence Day and Halloween—and scanning for glimmers in tucked-away but visible spots between the high tide line and bluffs. Full schedules for special drops are available on the program’s website.

If no float is found, similar glass art is sold in local galleries, or visitors can sign up for workshops at the Lincoln City Glass Center to create their own.

For More Information

For more details, visit explorelincolncity.com/glass-floats.