The fourth edition of the Saint John Sea Glass Festival will return this August.
It showcases coastal art, community pride and a growing international spotlight.
The event started in 2022 by Karla Rodriguez Moran, who says she was inspired to start the festival after discovering sea glass during her first year living in New Brunswick.
Originally from El Salvador, Rodriguez Moran says collecting sea glass helped her reconnect with nature and find healing after leaving the United States, where she no longer felt welcome.
“Going to the beach has always been a pleasure for me, something that fed my soul,” Rodriguez Moran said. “But it was also a healing process.”
What began as an idea for a small event quickly gained traction, drawing more than 50 vendors in its first year.
Today, the festival includes artists from across the Maritimes as well as Ontario, Quebec and Puerto Rico.
“I admire them,” Rodriguez Moran said when referring to the vendors.
“Every year they blow my mind with the things that they make with sea glass, with driftwood, with stones and rocks that they find in the ocean. It’s amazing.”
The event has also inspired younger artists. Rodriguez Moran said children began submitting vendor applications in the second year of the festival after seeing what others had created.
“They got inspired to make art, to make little cards, to make magnets,” she said. “That’s the best part — kids are paying attention.”
Rodriguez Moran says she’s especially proud that the Saint John Free Public Library has supported the festival since day one.
The library offers take-home sea glass kits to encourage youth art and learning.
Organizers are asking the public to donate sea glass for this program, especially if families have inherited collections from relatives.
This year’s festival features expanded kids’ activities, including face painting and interactive art booths, along with live music, daily workshops, and a photo booth experience.
Earlier this year, Beachcombing Magazine, based in California, featured the festival and the Bay of Fundy in a multi-page spread.
The article included a photo of Rodriguez Moran reacting to a rare red shard she found while beachcombing with her daughter.
As the festival enters its fourth year, Rodriguez Moran emphasizes that it represents more than just ocean art; it symbolizes the city’s evolving cultural identity and its sense of welcome.
“I want the whole world to know that there is a little piece of the earth called Saint John,” she said. “And it’s beautiful.”
For details and updates, visit the Sea Glass Festival’s official social media pages.
The festival takes place on August 29 and 30 at Market Square in Saint John.
