When the world went dark last year, creative minds went wild.

This weekend on the North Coast we will see the silver lining to a period that gave many of us a little more time to think.

The sound of silence prompted United Way of Clatsop County to dream up a first of it’s kind outdoor music festival that gives a socially distanced stage to local musicians, while simultaneously raising money for philanthropy organizations that serve local children.

Kite enthusiasts found alternative ways to connect online, sparking innovation and new designs in the kite creation process. Makers say the kites in the air at the Washington State International Kite Festival will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

Sergey Antonov, a cellist for Hermitage Piano Trio, wrote that he created Third Dimension, a music series performing at Astoria’s Liberty Theatre, in his imagination while locked down during the pandemic. He said it’s meant to celebrate and appreciate the importance of human interaction.

However you choose to spend your North Coast weekend, I invite you to stop and appreciate the beauty that came from an abrupt change to life as we know it. It’s a reminder that no matter what, we’ll never stop creating.

If you know a local artist who created something special during the lockdown, please send information about them to ndavidson@dailyastorian.com. We would love to feature them in an upcoming issue of Coast Weekend.