The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for the best amateur or professional photos of the fun, frolic, famous attractions, iconic buildings, and beautiful scenery of Oregon’s Coastal Playground. The winner will collect a $250 cash prize and have their submitted photo featured in the Chamber’s resource guide and other printed marketing pieces, on their website, and in social media. A panel of Chamber members will decide the winner. The winner will be announced the week of January 15, 2020. Deadline for entry is January 3, 2020. For more contest information, entry forms, and image release waivers visit FlorenceChamber.com/Contest, call 541-997-3128, or e-mail Contest@FlorenceChamber.com. “We call this place Oregon’s Coastal Playground for a reason,” says Bettina Hannigan, the Chamber’s executive director, “so we’re looking for outstanding amateur or professional photos that convey our coastal playground theme. So download your best photos from you smartphone or camera and send us […]
The eye-popping work of local photographer Rodger Bennett is featured in the monthly art exhibit at the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center in November, and is scheduled to carry over, with changes, into December. The Chamber features a different local artist’s exhibit each month. “This year we’ll have a collection of local scenes with some new ones to follow later in the month. All will be shown as metal prints, some with vibrant colors, some with stark contrasts in black and white. The Siuslaw waterfront is the major backdrop for the work and includes some unique shots of the McCullough bridge over the Siuslaw River,” says Bennett. “There are a couple of familiar local scenes on display as well; although the images are not the frequently seen angles of the locations we all know and love,” he adds. Bennett’s photos on high-gloss metal feature sharp-as-a-tack detail and brilliant […]
She came for the healing and stayed for the people she met and opportunities she gained. And now, she’s working to benefit the community that has blessed her with so much. Mitzi Hathaway has journeyed many a path to her new job as the event and tourism development coordinator for the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. She’s an arranger. From flower arranging to arranging boats in a harbor, from arranging weddings and memorial services to arranging the affairs of the office in a tech firm, Hathaway comes ready and raring to arrange the Chamber’s major events and further develop business and tourism here in Oregon’s Coastal Playground. “My heart is in the same place as Bettina’s (Hannigan, the Chamber’s executive director). We both live to make lives better, to bring people together, to make our community better,” says Hathaway. “Bettina often says, ‘hearts have chambers and our Chamber has a […]
Lane & Lincoln Counties, Ore. November 2019 – The Central Coast Culinary & Agritourism Studio, offered by Travel Oregon, is open for registration. This two-day workshop, November 12-13, will focus on culinary & agricultural tourism development in the Central Coast region, including the communities of Dunes City, Florence, Mapleton, Lincoln City, Yachats, Waldport, Seal Rock, Toledo, Newport, Siletz, Otter Rock, Depoe Bay, Gleneden Beach and the greater region. This two-day workshop is designed for those interested in marketing your region’s premier culinary & agricultural experiences as part of a food trail on the Central Coast. Throughout this program, participants will explore how communities can benefit from identifying, developing or enhancing your culinary & agricultural tourism related businesses. The following topics will be discussed in depth: Growing awareness of culinary & agritourism market trends, product development strategies and world-class case studies Leveraging statewide and regional resources in tourism marketing and business development […]
Florence is about to roll-retro for the second annual “Goin’ with the Flo Vintage Trailer Rally.” More than 50 kitschy-campy travel trailers will be staged for public viewing, free, at the Port of Siuslaw Campground in Old Town Florence beginning Saturday, October 19, from noon to 3:00 p.m. The event is all about sharing about and preserving the nostalgic road-tripping vacation era of the 1950s and 60s. Most of the trailers are restored to perfection, some will be in the restoration process, and some will be towed by cool classic vehicles from the trailer’s same era. Solarity Puppetry, a solar-powered literary vintage caravan featuring puppet shows, will present several times throughout the event. Visitors can also chat with the trailers’ owners who are happy to share about vintage trailer restoration, about this growing-in-popularity travel trend, and what it takes to keep these rare rigs on the road. “Last year was […]
Applications for the 113th Rhododendron Court are now available through Siuslaw and Mapleton schools, the Florence Visitor Center and the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE: Senior Application and Junior Application. The Senior Court is open to high school senior girls and boys who exhibit exceptional character and are Siuslaw region residents. Queen Rhododendra and her Junior and Senior Princess Courts as well as the King of the Coast and his Senior Prince Court will reign over the 2020 Rhododendron Festival, act as the goodwill ambassadors for this event and make many promotional appearances between the start of the year and the annual Rhody Festival in May. The Rhododendron Court will benefit from experiences with public speaking and media relations. Queen Rhododendra and the King of the Coast, along with their Senior Court, will be awarded scholarships on the night of the coronation. Applications for the Rhododendron Court […]
Saturday, October 12, from noon to 3:00 p.m., sees the return of the festive Okto-Fur-Fest celebration at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St. The event features German-style food and drink, games, and prizes—and the hilariously exciting wiener dog races from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Mayor Joe Henry will ceremonially tap the first keg when the doors open at noon (21 and over only for adult beverages). Admission is $3. Limited front row VIP tickets for the races are $10 at the FEC box office. Proceeds from the dachshund derby will benefit the Florence Van Fans Cancer Van. More information is available at www.EventCenter.org or by calling the Florence Events Center at 541-997-1994. The event coincides with the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Wine & Chowder Trails and Great Glass Float Giveaway weekend featuring more than a dozen Oregon wineries and local chowder makers. Attendees can also search for […]
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Artwork from the Florence Regional Arts Alliance (FRAA) is featured in the Florence Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center lobby, 290 Highway 101, throughout the month of September. “We love the diversity of art provided this month by the Florence Regional Arts Alliance,” says the Chamber’s executive director Bettina Hannigan. “FRAA has become such an essential and dynamic part of the community and their efforts to advance tourism through the promotion of the arts is a tremendous compliment to the Chamber’s work in the region.” FRAA chose the theme of “Coastal Critters” for their September exhibit, with artwork reflective of Florence’s diverse coastal life. Artists with work on display include Benny Anderson, watercolor; Kristin Anderson, fused glass; Mark Anderson, black and white photography; Deborah Cordone, photography; Minn Depweg, watercolor pencil; Pat Blue Heron, mixed media; Ron Hildenbrand, oil; Claudia Ignatieff, oil; John Leasure, oil; Andy Nedder, wood/resin; Pam Nedder, acrylic; Jack […]