By Justin Aufdermauer
Executive Director
This bout of rainy, overcast weather might have you feeling the blues but summer is almost here. I can tell because of the organized frenzy we are all feeling around the office as we gear up for our major summer events.
First on the docket is the 2019 Cork & Brew Tour on June 14th. This is the 7th year of this Chamber event that started as a way to engage the downtown businesses and community members with a “pub-crawl.” The idea is simple: each participating downtown business serves a tasting of wine, beer and locally-prepared appetizers. Folks get their passport and tasting glass at the launch party – hosted again this year by Pelican Brewing Co. – and after enjoying some complimentary drinks, food and live music get to meander through downtown visiting the different stops. You can stop at all or some, it’s a totally customizable evening.
Tickets are $45 each and must be purchased in advance. You can get yours either at the Chamber HQ or online at corkandbrewtour.com. Some of our featured breweries this year include Werner Brewing Co., Reach Break Brewing, Fort George Brewing, and Buoy Brewing Co. We’re also excited to have Werner Beef & Brew, SaraSotas, the Blue Heron French Cheese Co., The Rendezvous, Debbie D’s Sausages, and Pacific Seafood serving appetizers.
Then, the very next morning (June 15) at 9 a.m. sharp is the season opening of the Tillamook Farmers Market. Laurel Street from First to Third will be shut down for the largest Farmers Market in the county. We saw a lot of growth and excitement around the Market last year, and this year that is already continuing as we have even more vendors and exciting things to see and do. Be sure to come down between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and see what the Market has to offer. It’s a great spot to get your produce for the week, connect with local artisans and crafts people, grab lunch and enjoy some live music. Again this year we are offering a SNAP match at the Market HQ Trailer, so if you are an Oregon Trail Card customer, you can spend those dollars at the Market and we will match you $1 for $1 up to the first $10 you spend.
But that’s not it yet for June events. The June Dairy Parade returns on June 22 and promises to be “Udderly A-Moo-Sing.” If you want to participate in the parade, get those entry forms in ASAP as May 31st is the cut off. You can find the form at junedairyparade.com or on the homepage of the Chamber website. This is going to be a parade of epic proportions now that our downtown corridor is free of construction. For the first time, the parade will begin on 11th and Main, head down Main all the way to First Street, wind around the Tillamook Rodeo and head back up Pacific to Third – officially taking back our downtown. Come out and cheer them on!
Because summer is such a busy time around here, we are looking to add a new person to our Chamber team. We’re looking for a Visitor Services Associate to help assist visitors to our area on Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The position would begin June 15th and run through October 12th. This team member would work in our Visitor Center and provide general tourism information for the Tillamook region and Oregon Coast. To apply, send us your resume to info@tillamookchamber.org. Before June 3rd.