Author: Kitri McGuire

A hand holds a spoon with some kind of fried food on it. There is a dollop of creamy dip in the center of the bowl that holds the food. Green beans, chives and fennel top the dish.

Big Changes at Mac Market

McMinnville’s unofficial town square has welcomed a new set of neighbors. Following four years since their debut as a cornerstone of the urban renewal corridor on Alpine Drive, Mac Market closed briefly this spring to re-work the interior of the onetime shoe grease factory to accommodate some new projects.

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Three people ride bicycles along a road overlooking a vineyard.

Wine de Roads: Discover Local Pinot Noir by Bike

“We have found the experience people get at smaller wineries is something they often haven’t experienced before,” Lisa, of Wine de Roads says. “People visiting the area are unlikely to find some of these wineries on their own because they are so small. It is always a treat for our guests to meet and possibly even taste with an owner or winemaker.”

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An alien leans over and says hi to children during a parade.

McMenamins UFOFest: Celebrating UFO sightings from the 1950s – present

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Trent UFO sighting that inspired our local McMenamins UFO Festival. Even if you didn’t know the name, you’ve probably seen the black and white photo snapped by local farmer Paul Trent in 1953, one of the most famous in ufology.

But consider this: In the time that the festival has been drawing the nation’s top ufologists to McMinnville and filling Third Street with a celebration of all things alien, more than three thousand UFOs have been reported across Oregon, more than 60 of which came out of Yamhill County.

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An illustration of a stack of books with a pair of reading glasses on top of it. A book with a purple lily on top lies open in front of it.

The Terroir Creative Writing Festival is back

The Terroir Creative Writing Festival returns on Saturday, April 29. Now in its 11th incarnation, the full day of keynote talks, workshops, sessions on creativity, and a panel discussion welcomes writers of all ages looking to expand their tribe and jump-start their creativity and will take place at the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg, a change of venue for the festival.

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A wood and metal gate holds a sign that reads 'The Boutique Retreat'. Behind it, you can see three tiny houses and a courtyard.

The Boutique Retreat brings tiny home experience to McMinnville

Sarita Springer and Kevin Kump had stayed in tiny house hotels and binged on HGTV for years before deciding to create their own tiny house accommodations in McMinnville. They toured tiny house production facilities, stayed in tiny vacation cottages in Portland, and explored space efficiency of vintage trailers, all the while marveling about how much joy can be designed into tiny spaces. We spoke to Sarita about the Boutique Retreat, the nine new tiny houses they just opened on Alpine Avenue.

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