Articles

October is the occasion for our annual Scarecrow Contest, a fall tradition started by the McMinnville Downtown Association in 2013. Local shop owners and groups get their Halloween on and shift into Frankenstein mode: They make a man (or sometimes a woman) and post the life-sized creature along Third Street to greet passersby.

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Wash your hands, yes. But with so many hand-washings every day, and travel difficult, let me propose something different: Soap Travel.

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October in Oregon wine country is one of the most stunning times to experience the Willamette Valley, with the trees (and grapevines!) put on a spectacular show of reds, oranges, and yellows. For adventurous visitors, opportunities abound to stroll through many of the wooded areas of our region to take it all in.

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The time has come for another turning of the wheel. As the nights grow longer, and the sunrise brings a crisp chill, we prepare ourselves for entering the year’s dark season. Saying farewell to summer is always bittersweet, but even more so this year, when so much of the fun that we usually enjoy was cancelled or altered beyond recognition. Regardless, we managed to make some really special memories in McMinnville. Here are some of our favorites:

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While the destination may be your goal, it is just as important to enjoy the bike ride that gets you there. The Youngberg Hill Loop is one of my favorite McMinnville-area bike rides. It is flat and easy most of the time and the few remaining hills are manageable.

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This year, there has been a flurry of activity, including the opening of Two Dogs Taphouse, the relocation of Hopscotch Toys to Third Street, and the announcement of Bierly Brewing moving in this winter. Now there’s yet another new kid on the street albeit for a limited time only; you can visit Beaux Frères at their satellite tasting room this fall.

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McMinnville’s art galleries are for everybody. Snobbery is nowhere to be found, and hospitality is abundant. You’re in Oregon, remember.

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You can only stay cooped up so long with your classroom of distance learners before it’s time for a breakout session. I’m talking about a trip out into the community where you can pair your children’s online learning with some real, hands-on education at a place not so far from home.

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This time of year, most people are blazing trails toward one adventure or another. Weekends are often so full of exciting plans and experiences, that before we know it, we’ve run ourselves ragged. Now that August is coming to a close, it’s time for a welcome change of pace. You’ll find it ten minutes from downtown McMinnville, on Oldsville Road (a road less traveled), where history and fun unite to create an easy sense of well-being.

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I can’t help but smile as I speed past vineyards along North Valley Road. The undulating road with its short, steep rises would require some effort on a typical bicycle. On this e-bike, it is laughably easy.

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