Things to do in Salem

Special Events:

• Oregon Garden Events
• Salem Carousel Events
• Travel Salem Events
• Chef's Night Out, October 8
• Clay Ball, February 24

Food/Drink:

• Family visiting? Check out "best places to eat" for ideas on where to take them or "movie times" to see the latest releases
• Brunch? Eola Hills Winery, Word of Mouth, ACME Cafe, Busick Court, Sparky's Brewing, Delaney Madison Grill are good choices
• Willamette Queen Sternwheeler has a regular schedule and special events
• Regularly scheduled wine tastings/events: Santiam Wine Co & Bistro, Barrel & Keg, and don't forget Willamette Valley Cheese tasting room
• Or maybe beer/cider is your thing? You're in luck! Salem has a number of local brewers and bottle shops: Vagabond Brewing, Victory Club, SAW Brewing,  Barrel & Keg, B2 Taphouse, Gilgamesh Brewing, Growl Movement, 2Sparky's, Santiam Brewing, Seven Brides, Venti's Taphouse, Kraftworks, Wandering Aengus Cider Works, 1859 Cider Co,
• Cooking classes:  Lifesource Foods, Lullu's tutto cucina, La Margarita, Kelly's Home Center, Willamette Valley Kitchen Co, 
• Local Bakeries include: Cascade Baking Co., Great Harvest, Pure Decadence, Little Cannoli, Konditorei, Sugar Sugar, Croissant and Co., Oregon Crepes, Myriad Cakes,   BigWig Donuts, Rolling Bagels, Jenuine Desserts, Prologue Pasteries, Sweet Couture
• Salem Public Market is open EVERY Saturday, 8:30 am - 2pm
• Who doesn't like a good coupon?
• And of course, check out Travel Salem & Travel Oregon or explore one of our many mid-valley wineries

Entertainment/Nightlife:

• Looking for live music? Check out Taproot Lounge & Cafe, Victory Club, The Space, Vagabond Brewing, Shotski's, Kraftworks,The Space Concert Club, Venti's, Browns Towne, Boon's Treasury, Governor's Cup, Half Penny, Christo's Lounge,  Fireside Lounge, South Liberty Bar and Grill, The Triangle
• In the mood for some improv? Capitol City Theater
• Click on the following links for each theatre's calendar: The Elsinore,  Enlightened Theatrics, Pentacle Theatre, The Verona Studio, Keizer Homegrown Theater, Salem Playback Theater, Willamette University Theater, WOU Fine Arts
• Salem has 2 independent movie theaters: Northern Lights Theater Pub, Salem Cinema
• A list of Salem's numerous, must see art galleries.
• Take a walk--check out the local walking tours on this local blog and other area hikes here at Every Trail. Also, visit Gaiety Hollow: Lord and Schryver's Garden and Home
• Want to know where to find Salem's parks, children's museum, pools or other places of interest? Click here to see the city's map.
• Friends of Straub LRC  --Lectures, hikes, retreats and much more (Click here for website)
• If it's a bike route map you need, click here, for Salem Bicycle Club ride calendar click here or here's a link for area runs.
• Salem's own newspaper, Salem Weekly. Radio stations: Salem FM 105.5, KMUZ 88.5, KBZY, KYKN

On Your Feet Friday!

Bridge + Community + Family + Fun and Free!

On Your Feet Friday (OYFF) is a community and family oriented series of events, the 2nd Friday of each month, May through October.  On Your Feet means exactly that.  The format encourages people of all ages to walk or run on sidewalks and through parks in and around downtown Salem. Along the way to local business or park checkpoints, discover new places, get some exercise and have fun. Each month includes eight different checkpoints.  

Invite Your Friends using the Gallagher Fitness Resources Facebook page. Already LIKE us?  Mouse over the LIKE button and check “Get Notifications” to stay updated on OYFF events and participating checkpoints.

How On Your Feet Friday Works:

On Your Feet Friday is similar to a scavenger hunt or poker run. Here are the guidelines:

5:30-6:15pm – Sign-up at GFR + Pickup Passport + Shoe Testing
6:15-7:00pm – ON YOUR FEET! To the Checkpoints. Get Passports stamped.
6:50-7:05pm – Turn in your OYFF Passport and get your raffle tickets.
7:05-7:45pm – Raffle Prizes + Party 

What Are Your Favorite Willamette Valley Pumpkin Patches?

Comment below to tell us what area
pumpkin patches we're missing:

French Prairie Gardens

Wooden Shoe Pumpkin Fest

Airlie Hills Pumpkin Fest

Wavra Farms

EZ Orchards Harvest Fest

Bauman's Pumpkin Patch

Willamette Valley Pie Co. Pie and Harvest Fest

Fordyce Farms

Vince Woods Farm

Greens Bridge Gardens

Pink Ribbon Farms

Fir Point Farms

Pearmine Farms

November and December in Salem

Happy New Year!

Creekside Golf Club - Buy your tickets now to ring in the new year!

Santiam Wine Co. - is pouring on Dec. 31 ...bubbles!  Happy New Year!!

Willamette Valley Grill - New Year's Eve Party

Archive - We are staying open until 1 am New Years Eve to usher in the coming year together

Half Penny - We're back again and ready to ROCK away 2015 as we bring in 2015 Never2Late style!

Andaluz - We'll be cooking our full tapas menu plus a four course menu of Spanish flavors including an Oregon Dungeness crab and shrimp paella. Optional wine pairings, cocktails with sparkling Cava and midnight Champagne toast. Call for reservations: 503.585.1773

ACME - We are taking reservations of all sizes up to 8:30 and are offering a special menu and our regular menu: 503.798.4736

Vagabond Brewing - Fancy as Funk New Year's Eve

Venti's Basement Bar - New Year's Eve Bonanza

DaVinci's - New Year's Eve party starts at 4:30.

McNary Restaurant- New Year's party starts at 6:00pm

Union Barrel - There will be drink and food specials all night including a countdown and champagne toast at midnight!

Gamberetti's - We will be closed Dec 24th, 25th and 26th and back open on the 27th. We have a wonderful New Years Eve dinner planned with 4 course and a sparkling wine flight to go with. Will post is soon !! Happy and safe holidays to all

Roberts Crossing - is looking forward to seeing you on New Year's Eve

Christo's - Celebrate New Years Eve at Christo's! Check out their Facebook page.

Boon's Treasury - Looking for something to do New Year's Eve night? We've got live music Wednesday night starting at 9:30 for 21 and over.

The Triangle Lounge- New Year's Party starts at 8pm

Westside Station - New Year's Eve party!

Northern Lights Theater -We have a New Years Bash that we have done for a couple of years and has been a huge success. Have a very Merry Christmas!!

Oregon Garden Resort - We have big plans for New Year's Eve!

Willamette Queen Sternwheeler - will be closed thru Christmas and hope to be back up and running by New Years.We are planning an early 5 to 7 dinner for those who want to dine earlier (and party later), or a 9 pm cruise till 12:30, providing the boat is running again. Call for more information and reservations 503 371-1103.

Flight Deck will be open until 9pm on New Year's Eve for the "Party before the Party". Make your reservations today! We will serve our regular menu plus great specials.
Call 503-581-5721 today to make your reservations!

Amadeus Cafe - is closed on Christmas Eve, but will be open on New Year's Eve from 5 - 9 PM.  Reservations suggested - 503 362-8830

Marco Polo - Open regular hours for New Years Eve

The RAM - Ring in the New Year with us!

Word of Mouth - we will be opening at 8am on New Years Day, instead of 7am.

Annette's Westgate Cafe - will be open on Christmas Eve until 2 PM and open regular hours on New Year's Eve.

Salem Sunday Streets!

Marion Polk Food Share's "The Better Burger Work Experience"

Marion-Polk Food Share has partnered with Job Growers Inc. to create a 10-week, 200 hour,  work experience opportunity for youth ages 18 – 24 to make the Better Burger. This effort is targeted to help provide youth with a “first-time,” employment opportunity and the real-life training that only a workplace environment can foster. Our main goal for all participants is to obtain and maintain employment after graduating.
This training program is completely FREE and is an unique opportunity for young adults to build their resume and gain valuable job skills.

The 1st step of the program is to attend an Information Session! Information Sessions are 2 – 3 pm on August 26th and 10 – 11 am on September 3 for anyone interested in learning more about the program.  It is a commitment of 20 hours a week for 10 weeks and all participants who complete the program with passing marks will receive a food handlers card and an industry-recognized certificate of job skills. For your sending pleasure, click here for the updated Better Burger flyer.  We've also created the Facebook event, which is here.

The MPFS work experience gives participants an opportunity to learn about and then demonstrate skills in food handling and production as well as quality control & assurance, nutrition education, hunger in Marion and Polk counties, and food safety in a production kitchen.  The participants will work 20-hours a week in the Better Burger kitchen performing job duties and supervised as normal employees would.  Job Growers Inc. and MPFS staff will also provide valuable trainings in teamwork, enrichment topics, communication, time management, and also mentoring and job coaching.

Outside of the Better Burger 200-hour Work Experience. Job Growers Inc. will provide “Career-Based Training,” which presents participants with tools to socialize successfully in any work environment. This training will occur 4-hours a week. Industry partners have aided in this training’s curriculum design and assessment. It is a unique opportunity to teach the future work force the tools they need for success.  In the words of a participant in a similar Job Growers Inc. program, “I have a better outlook on myself and have improved…work skills.  I was shown how to act professional and switch to casual at the appropriate times.”

Participants will receive experience with:

Food Handler Safety    Servesafe Curriculum    Food Production
Culinary Arts        Teamwork        Financial Management
Quality Control        Quality Assurance    Leadership
Food Safety        Workplace Safety    Nutrition

Participants will also be able to join in during bimonthly “Enrichment Topics,” presentations done at MPFS throughout the course. Topics will include subjects such as: how to make a nutritious lunch, how to make your resume better, practice interviewing, special trips to food industry partners in Salem, running, etc.

We need your help reaching out to future program participants!  Please forward this email to anyone interested in job skills training, or works with youth and can help promote this opportunity.  Please post the attached flyer.

Please contact Marshall Curry, Better Burger Program Coordinator, at Marion-Polk Food Share with any questions.  He can be reached at mcurry@marionpolkfoodshare.org or 503-581-3855.

Thanks!

Movies and Concerts in Salem Area

Summer Concerts, etc at Keizer Rotary Amphitheater
Sept. 6th: JFK

Sunsets in the Garden
Each event will feature complimentary tastings from a local winery or brewery, live music and a sunset in the Garden.
September 10th 6pm
Tasting: Vagabond Brewing, Salem
Musician: Ron Hughes
September 24th 6pm
Tasting: Salem Ale Works, Salem
Musician: Eric John Kaiser
Admission:
Adults (21+) $5
Under 21 years old $1
Children 4 & under Free
Garden Members $3
Minors and well-behaved pets on a leash are welcome. Enter the Garden through the main entrance, at the Visitor Center.

Tastings from the featured winery or brewery will be included with admission. Additional beverages may be purchased after the tasting. Please bring cash – admission, beverages and food will be cash-only. The nearest ATM is located in the Oregon Garden Resort.