The 116th annual Florence Rhododendron Festival is still months away (May 17-21, 2023), but planning is already underway in earnest. Part of that planning involves the public’s input on a theme for the big event. The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is asking people to exert their creativity and submit ideas for a fun theme that represents the festival and our area, and entices people to come from out of town to enjoy the festivities. A $100 prize is up for grabs for the winning suggestion. To submit your idea fill out the form below or drop it off at the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s Visitors Center at 290 Highway 101. Members of the organizing committee will choose a winner and announce it on December 19th. In the case of duplicate ideas, the entry that arrived earliest will be declared the winner. Submission period has expired.
Sunny Summertime Greetings from Florence, Oregon’s Coastal Playground! Here’s a quick peek at what’s coming up in and around Florence this summer and beyond… Don’t just daydream about our uncrowded ocean beaches, towering sand dunes, peaceful lakes, inspiring ancient forests, world-class golf courses, sandboarding, ATVs, fishing, crabbing, and…you get the idea. Come enjoy them! There truly are more things than you can do in just one day, and it’s time to start planning your next trip to the center of the Oregon Coast. July 4—Come join our Old-Fashioned 4th of July celebration. Florence is home to one of the best, biggest, and longest professional fireworks displays on the coast! It provides a perfect end to a day of fun all around town including a porch parade that directs drivers to all the great patriotically festooned homes, businesses, yards, windows, and of course…porches! You’ll also enjoy the bike parade through Historic Old Town, […]
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center and Gallery, 290 Highway 101, features an everchanging exhibit of local artists’ work. Their newest display of local artistry features 2-D, 3-D, textile, jewelry, paint, stone sculpture, and photos from Ärtêfacts at 1255 Bay St. in Florence. “Metal wall art is in abundance in my shop, so I featured a few of those,” explained owner Shelly Medeiros. “I also featured the ever-popular and artful Myra brand purses and SolMate Socks. I have way too many things to list, but suffice to say, it is a very unique and eclectic selection of fun stuff.” Most everything I have in the shop, and at the exhibit at the visitors center, is handmade. Some items come from vendors, and some come directly from the makers. The centerpiece of the exhibit are two stunning stone sculptures (a sea turtle and an octopus) created by […]
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that nominations are open for the 2021 First Citizen Awards! This prestigious award is given to an individual who has used their influence, time, talents and resources to serve and improve the Florence Area. The award will be presented at the July 14th Siuslaw Awards at Three Rivers Casino Resort. Tickets go on sale June 17th. Now is the time to recognize these remarkable individuals in our community. Make your nomination below.
The 14th annual Siuslaw Awards event is fast approaching. The awards banquet, sponsored by the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, will happen on July 14th at Three Rivers Casino’s conference center. This prestigious event recognizes excellence in the local business community by naming recipients for awards in Excellence in Customer Service, Innovation is Everything, Heart on their Sleeve, Profound Difference Award, Bold New Business, Still Going Strong and the Stu Johnston Business of the Year Award. Two outstanding individuals in the community will be honored with the First Citizen Award and the Future First Citizen Award. The First Citizen Award recognizes that individual who has given selflessly to the community based on community involvement, leadership, and overall community impact. The Future First Citizen Award recognizes a student based on his or her academic success as well as civic involvement and contributions to the community. The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce […]
The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 290 Highway 101, features an everchanging exhibit of local artists’ work. Their newest display of local artistry features mixed media encaustics by Jo Beaudreau, owner of BeauxArts Fine Art Materials and Gallery in Florence. Encaustic is an painting technique using pigments mixed with hot wax and resin that has been used for centuries. “This year’s works featured a challenge since we have been living in challenging times – why not embrace and take it head on?,” asked Beaudreau. Beaudreau chose to set some guidelines for herself which incorporated round shapes in various sizes and neon colors. With these parameters she was able to create unique works of abstract landscapes—colorful and surreal images of forest, lake, beach, sunrise, sunset, and more—while using her popular encaustic techniques. “Neon colors are, appropriate to our times, a challenge—hard to work with—because they are so vibrant. Not many artists use neon colors in […]
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Florence, Central Lincoln PUD, and Three Rivers Casino Resort is preparing to hang festive, colorful banners on power and light poles along the Highway 101 corridor and at the casino. The Chamber announced the effort in mid-May and had a call-to-artists for banner designs open through June 30. Lane County artist Tara Kemp’s designs were selected by the Chamber. Fine-tuning of the designs wrapped up in September. Kemp will receive $1000 for her suite of designs featuring paintings that cover the scope of local food, entertainment, sea life, and the area’s beautiful and diverse landscape. The first set of banners are scheduled to be installed soon. “I love it that the Chamber, the City of Florence, and their partners value creating a positive impression of the area through a visual display. I love it that they value creativity and […]
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 November 1, 2021. Deadline for entry is October 15, 2021. For more contest information, entry forms, and image release waivers visit FlorenceChamber.com/2021PhotoContest, 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 President and CEO, “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 […]
NOMINATE HERE.