By Sierra Lauder
Director of Events and Downtown Development
This last Saturday the 80’s were alive in downtown Tillamook. The Rotary Club hosted its Annual Casino Night Fundraiser at the Elks, and the glitter is still swirling. The event was not a Chamber event, but it was one of the many events that we are excited to see blossom and succeed and overflow into the neighboring businesses in our downtown district. While my desk is covered in notes and details about Cork & Brew, June Dairy Parade, ArtWalk, a Downtown District Property Tour that we’re hoping to host this summer, I am thrilled to look up at my calendar and see weekends packed with activities that do not originate here in this office.
This last Saturday, as I headed to the final soccer game of the spring season, we passed the Show and Shine Car Show that Tillawheels hosted on Laurel Ave. Beautiful classic cars lined the road where just a few short weeks from now, Farmers Market vendors will be set up for the sixteen-week season that kicks off on June 16th. Rumors here at the Chamber indicate that there will be fifteen new vendors popping in this season in addition to a large returning group of anchor vendors. If you (like me) are just now starting to accept that summer is more than just a myth, and are thinking you might like to learn more about being a vendor, having your organization represented at the Community Table, or have a musical act that you would like to share one Saturday this market season, don’t be shy! Email Sayde@tillamookchamber.org for more information about the market.
Saturday afternoon, as I searched for exactly the right leg warmers for the evening, the rest of my household ventured to the South Prairie Carnival, where bouncy houses and a huge range of activities had them nodding off on the couch as I headed out to Yo Time for a little pre-volunteering treat. The third Saturday of every month, Art Accelerated hosts an Open Mic Night at Yo Time, and while I popped in for my favorite fruit yogurt, I listened to poetry from Susan Kuchinskas (a popular sci-fi writer who hosted a workshop earlier in the day), an acoustic set of serious songs by warbling Joe Wrabeck (who announced his upcoming Streaming Test Concert in preparation for the Oregon Coast Songwriters Competition that is coming up soon), and reflections and poetry from a few other local writers/thinkers. I could not stay long, as I had to get to my volunteer shift at the Rotary event, but I find I am always entertained by both the company and the presentations at these monthly events.
Monthly events are a new theme in the Tillamook Downtown District. In the last year or so, we suddenly have several reoccurring monthly opportunities. In addition to the family-friendly Open Mic Night, there is also an ArtWalk on the fourth Saturday of each month from 1-3 that is a fun all ages exploration in downtown, and the monthly Sip + Shop event, where retail businesses offer tastes of their fav beverages (often adult beverages) during later hours, offering a festive way for folks to explore our boutique retail stores after traditional office hours. Sip + Shop is scheduled for the second Friday of the month, except this June, where retailers are substituting the night out with the Chamber’s popular Cork & Brew Tour.
Cork & Brew is in it’s fifth year, and tickets sell out annually- grab yours before they’re gone! On sale in person at Chamber Headquarters, Sunflower Flats, or the Pelican Tap Room, the self-guided tasting tour of downtown features amazing catering by local restaurants paired with wine and beer tastes at a series of stops. Scheduled for the Friday of Father’s Day weekend (June 15th, this year), it is a very fun adult evening on the town- no costumes (80’s theme or otherwise) required!
If you would like to talk more about downtown events, or have questions on how to participate (as a business or individual) please feel free to reach out to me at 503-842-7525 or email sierra@tillamookchamber.org.