The Northwest coast is a natural attraction during the summer, but coastal communities up the ante on fun with a season filled with festivals, fireworks and festivities. There are wine walks, fun runs, car shows, dog shows and festivals that fill the skies with colorful kites and fill the air with music. Cannon Beach is known for art, but each June the art is very temporary as thousands come to watch or compete in the long-running sandcastle contest. Then, the community hosts its Plein Air & More Festival celebrating the art of the landscape. The Long Beach Peninsula celebrates all things garlic each June when Ocean Park hosts its annual garlic festival. Several communities host kite festivals including Brookings, Lincoln City and Long Beach, where they have hosted the annual Washington State International Kite Festival each August for 30 years. Car enthusiasts can attend events in Seaside, Long Beach and Gleneden Beach. Seaside welcomes muscle cars at Muscle N Chrome in June, hot rods at Wheels N Waves in September and motorcycles at the Seaside Motorcycle Festival in July. Seaside also attracts athletes for several summer events. In August, Seaside hosts Oregon's largest beach volleyball tournament and is the finish line for the Hood to Coast relay. Music in diverse styles is the focus of several festivals and events including the ten-day Astoria Music Festival in June and the two-week Oregon Coast Music Festival on the south Oregon Coast in July. The Waikiki Beach Concert Series at Cape Disappointment State Park offers six Saturday evening concerts through August and Rockaway Beach hosts Rocktoberfest in September with 13 bands performing over two days. Big name summer concert events include Reba McEntire and Judy Collins in Astoria and Chinook Winds Casino presenting several big shows ranging from Loretta Lynn to Whitesnake. Celebrate our nation's independence over the Fourth of July holiday where many communities present public fireworks shows, parades and related events. Check our calendar for these events and much more or visit coastexplorermagazine.com for the latest updates and community calendars.