Merrill Denny: All for the Love of Bikes Merrill Denny stands in his rural workshop southeast of McMinnville. Old bikes, some dating back more than 60 years, are heaped in corners. In the middle of the workspace is a curved creation perhaps eight feet long, shaped from steel and welded to represent Merrill’s passion. Read Article
McMinnville’s UFO Festival owns weird for the weekend Expect lectures and Powerpoint. But hang out on Third Street Saturday afternoon and you’ll also be treated to a sea of Wookies, Greys, probably lots of Baby Yodas and maybe even a Gorn. Culturally speaking, the festival is what one might call a … well, hybrid. Read Article
Gallery Theater demonstrates multigenerational impact with The Sound of Music Gallery Theater’s new production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music is a family affair in more ways than one. It features, of course, the sprawling von Trapp family: Captain Georg von Trapp (Lance Nuttman) and his seven children. But bringing the popular play to life is a large cast that features ten people from four local families. Read Article
Celebrating Record Store Day at The Vortex McMinnville is more suited than most Oregon towns to celebrate Record Store Day on April 23, because we’ve The Vortex. Years of curating an eclectic inventory and seeing a new audience for vinyl emerge has taught LaVerne that any day can be a record store day that keeps him and his staff busy. Or at least six days a week. Read Article
Second Winds Community Band harnesses springtime energy Humans’ creative cycles are like plants moving through the seasons: there is a time for blooming, and a time for reserving energy, staying dormant within the soil, in preparation for future growth. For some musicians, those periods of rest might take years or even decades before they feel called again to play music. That is often the case for new members of Second Winds Community Band, and whether it’s been months or years since you’ve last picked up an instrument, you’re welcome to join. Read Article
Blue Moon Lounge: McMinnville’s Iconic Bar for 100 Years The Blue Moon celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. It rarely if ever appears in trendy travel magazines highlighting the wonders of Oregon Wine Country. But for anyone wanting to get to know McMinnville, it’s a landmark. Read Article
Tiny Travels: Top 5 Things to Do at Evergreen Over Spring Break The best Spring Break trips take you out of this world for an experience like no other. In McMinnville, the best place to find this level of fun, facts, and fabulosity reside at the Evergreen complex just outside of town, site of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and the Wings & Waves Waterpark. Read Article
Gallery Theater shakes up a cocktail of romance and nostalgia For the next three weeks, the best of crooner Frank Sinatra’s music will fill Gallery Theater’s large auditorium in downtown McMinnville. My Way: A Tribute to the Music of Frank Sinatra is a 2-hour celebration of all things Ol’ Blue Eyes, with a live band and quartet of musicians singing and dancing their way through Sinatra songs while cleverly dropping biographical winks and nods. Read Article
Tiny Travels: Visit this monastery tasting room for love and chocolate Life can be like a box of chocolates – and it can also be a highway. You and your paramour don’t have to squabble over ‘90s pop culture analogies this Valentine’s Day if you take a drive south of McMinnville to visit the tasting room of the Brigittine Monks, whose award-winning truffles, chocolates and fudge are best enjoyed à deux. Read Article
Tiny Travels: Follow Your New Birding Obsession to McMinnville In McMinnville, birding destinations abound, from city parks tucked away near major thoroughfares to vineyard stops to state recreation sites to a national wildlife refuge. And now – the winter months – is the time to pick a fair-weather day and explore, since so many migrating species use the Willamette Valley for their seasonal sojourn. Read Article