Beaver fever: Broaden your beaver bona fides at Beaver Bash in Washougal

Free event includes hands-on activities, entertainment, more

By Monika Spykerman, Staff writer
April 16, 2026 8:05 am
Arts & Entertainment, Environment, Life, Washougal

Dreamstime

The Beaver Bash festival is the brainchild of Valentina London. (Contributed by Valentina London)

A bevy of volunteers are busy as beavers working on projects and props for the Beaver Bash happening April 18 in Washougal. (Contributed by Valentina London)

The Beaver Bash festival, April 18 in downtown Washougal’s Reflection Plaza, is the joint effort of many volunteers. (Contributed by Valentina London)

Everything at the Beaver Bash festival will be free, even custom Beaver Bash shirts printed by festival volunteers. (Contributed by Valentina London)

The Beaver Bash is the only big beaver festival in Washington or Oregon, said event organizer Valentina London. It’s put together with grant money from the Broad Reach Foundation and a lot of effort from volunteers. (Photos contributed by Valentina London)

If you’re struck by a sudden desire to branch out this Saturday, look no farther than the Beaver Bash, where you can broaden your beaver “gnaw-ledge” (according to the event’s clever tagline) and celebrate the Northwest’s most iconic rodent.

Beaver Bash, set to run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18 at Reflection Plaza in Washougal, is the brainchild of Valentina London. The Washougal resident is a Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife habitat biologist specializing in beavers. International Beaver Day on April 7 triggers a number of beaver festivals around North America, London said — and it’s high time these industrious natural architects had a local festival in their honor.

“We’ll have live music, a puppet show, lots of art projects and a keynote speaker, so there’s something for everyone — folks that are younger and folks that are older,” London, 30, said. “People will be able to learn about beavers and why they are awesome ecosystem engineers.”

London, who works out of an office in Ridgefield, said she often partners with the Cascade Forest Conservancy (one of the event’s community partners) to help beavers in Southwest Washington or relocate them to areas where their tree-munching and dam-building skills can better benefit the environment.

A quick Google search reveals a bevy of beaver-related activities and events in Washington and Oregon, but there are only two large-scale beaver festivals on America’s West Coast, London said, and they’re both in California: the Central Coast Beaver Festival in San Luis Obispo and the Worth a Dam Beaver Festival in Martinez, near San Francisco.

“We have people that we know of coming from two-plus hours away for this event, because there’s nothing like it in Oregon or Washington currently,” London said.

The festival is organized by a seven-member committee, including London. Other members are London’s father, Travis London, a muralist and Vancouver Public Schools art educator; Kathy Huntington of the Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance; Mark Soutter and Amanda Keasberry of the Cascade Forest Conservancy; Soutter’s wife, Washougal artist Annie Soutter; and Hannah Schrager, owner of Good Year Farms. London said the Beaver Bash is fully funded by a grant from the East Coast-based Broad Reach foundation, which promotes “healthy ecosystems, coexistence, community resilience and human well-being,” according to its website.

“The main message we want to drive home is that beavers are friends, not foes,” London said.

The event is also the result of a lot of volunteer elbow grease and the involvement of many community partners, including the Camas Youth Council, Frog and Twig, Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance and Good Year Farms. The Cowlitz Indian Tribe will also get “lots of shout-outs,” London said, for its work with beavers and its beaver relocation program. Local businesses Compass Coffee, Danglicious Vietnamese Kitchen and Trap Door Brewing have agreed to stay open during the event and Kascadia Public House, 3307 Evergreen Way, Suite 301B (near Safeway) will host a Beaver Gnawledge Trivia Night after the festival from 3-5 p.m.

“The event has come together very beautifully and very organically with the community,” London said.

IF YOU GO

What: Beaver Bash

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18

Where: Reflection Plaza, 1703 Main St., Washougal

Cost: Free

Info.: https://washougalbeaverbash.my.canva.site/

The committee made a special effort to get young people involved and teens will run the temporary tattoo booth and the “build a beaver tail” art station. The Washougal High School jazz band will perform at 11:15 a.m. Futhermore, London and Keasberry will speak to Canyon Creek Middle School’s seventh grade science classes during April about beavers and beaver ecology. The school is ideally situated for beaver education, London said, because there’s a wetland behind the school with a lot of beaver activity.

Sam Robinson, vice chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation, will offer opening remarks at 10 a.m., followed by a puppet show by Red Yarn. At 11 a.m., attendees can participate in a collaborative sidewalk mural led by Travis London. Keynote speaker Jakob Shockey, executive director of the Southern Oregon nonprofit Project Beaver, will offer a science-oriented presentation geared toward older teens and adults.

Other activities include beaver photo props, a mock stream, raffles and live music by Brenna Larsen and tyraløuise. Attendees can also get free, custom-printed Beaver Bash T-shirts or use the on-site screenprinter to print their own T-shirts or posters — also for free. Even the snack bags will be free, London said.

There won’t be any vendors or food trucks on site because the planning committee wants to keep the focus on beaver education. However, as the festival expands, that may change.

“We’re expecting 100 people,” London said, “but we’re prepared for more.”

IF YOU GO

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