Here’s our annual compilation of events happening around the area
for Fall and Halloween
October: Pumpkin Patch Tennessee Thunder Stand & Railroad’s pumpkin patch, scavenger hunt and train ride is open from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, at 37672 KGAL Drive. Prices are $7 for adults, $6 for children, and free for kids under 1 year old. For more information, call (458) 223-0258 or visit ttsrailroad.com.
October: Photoshoot Background The Keller-Williams Gillott Home Team has an old Ford truck filled with hay and pumpkins for visitors to use as a backdrop for fall photos at 266 E. Grant St.
Oct. 21: Cake Class Learn to make a Halloween-themed cake using buttercream and fondant from 6 to 8 p.m. at Maker’s Studio, 535 S. Main St. Cost is $40. Register online at makersstudiodiy.com.
Oct. 22: Wicked Brewsideus Barsideous Brewing, 644 S. Main St., invites patrons to dress up in their best witchy attire for a chance to win a prize. The brewpub will host raffle prizes, alcoholic potions, and a specialty menu starting at 6 p.m. Local vendors, oracle readings and crystals will also be on site. All proceeds support local women-owned businesses.
Oct. 23: Downtown Trick or Treat The annual downtown trick or treat is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enter the costume contest at 11:30 a.m. and check in at 12:30 p.m., to be held from 1 to 2 p.m. at Strawberry Plaza, 847 S. Main St. Hocus Pokie Dancers will perform from 11 a.m. to noon.
Oct. 23: Cookie Class Learn to make Halloween-themed sugar cookies using royal icing from 6 to 8 p.m. at Maker’s Studio, 535 S. Main St. Cost is $30. Register online at makersstudiodiy.com.
Oct. 30: Kids Halloween Express Santiam Excursion Train hosts a kids costume contest and train ride from noon to 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 to 4 p.m. Meet at the train station, 750 S. 3rd St. There will be a movie station, popcorn and treats, and refreshments from the bar. Tickets are $20-30; purchase online at santiamexcursiontrains.com; select “View Excursions” and click on the Oct. 30 date. For more information, call (541) 619-0342.
Oct. 30: Boozy Express Santiam Excursion Train hosts an adult-only costume contest and train ride from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Must be at least 21 years old. Meet at the train station, 750 S. 3rd St. There will be appetizers, music and a full bar. Tickets are $25-45; purchase online at santiamexcursiontrains.com; select “View Excursions,” and click on the Oct. 30 date. For more information, call (541) 619-0342.
Nov. 5-6: Bazaar Weekend Lebanon’s bazaar weekend is back, including locations at: Christ Community Church, 320 Market St. (Fri. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. 4 p.m.); Linn County Arts Guild, 605 S. Main St. (Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.); St. Edward’s Catholic Church, 100 S. Main St. (Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.); and at 1787 S. 12th St. (Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). More locations are listed on a flier at the River Center Craft and Gift Fair, 3000 S. Santiam Hwy. (Fri. and Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Nov. 20: Painted Santas Linn County Arts Guild offers a free “Kids Create” class for painted wooden Santas from 1 to 3 p.m. Sign up by calling (541) 497-0386.
Nov/Dec: Holiday Store Linn County Arts Guild sets up a holiday store featuring local vendors. Vendors can rent space for $100, plus 20% commission. For more information, call (541) 497-0386.
Dec. 18: Christmas Cards Linn County Arts Guild offers a free “Kids Create” class for Christmas cards from 1 to 3 p.m. Sign up by calling (541) 497-0386.
Outside Lebanon
Haunted Houses / Mazes / Tours: Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce. Morningstar Grange, Monteith House, and the farmhouse at 6363 Sedona Road (https://fb.me/e/11B5LnHGP), all in Albany. The Melon Shack, Corvallis. American Legion Post 184, Brownsville.
Pumpkin Patches: Bose Family Farm, and Grandpa’s Fresh Market, both in Albany. Davis Family Farm, The Melon Shack, and Peoria Road Farm Market, all in Corvallis. Detering Orchards, Harrisburg. Greens Bridge Gardens, Jefferson. Thistledown Farm, Junction City. Bauman’s Farm & Garden, Gervais.
Corn/Hay Mazes: Bose Family Farm, Albany. The Melon Shack, Corvallis. Detering Orchards, Harrisburg. Bauman’s Farm & Garden, Gervais.
Halloween Treat Parties: Community Chapel, and Downtown Trick or Treat, both in Sweet Home. Downtown Trick or Treat, Historic Carousel & Museum, and Northside Church, all in Albany.
Fresh Cider: Detering Orchards, Harrisburg. Thistledown Farm, Junction City. Bauman’s Farm & Garden, Gervais.
Craft Fairs/Bazaars: Sweet Home Senior Center.
More happenings around town
Shop with a Cop sign-ups available
Applications are now being accepted for Lebanon Police Shop with a Cop. Applications can be obtained by emailing [email protected] and you will be mailed an application and instructions. Lebanon Shop with a Cop will be Saturday December 11, 2021.
The child must be a student within the Lebanon School District and reside within the 97355 zip code.
Log brand renewal period begins
The Oregon Department of Forestry is accepting state-registered log brand renewals between Saturday, Oct. 18, and Friday, Dec. 31.
Log brands, the identifying symbols welded onto the face of a hammer and struck into log ends for identification, discourage log theft and aid in the return of lost logs. Forest products and booming equipment must have ODF-registered log brands on public highways, waterways or railroads east of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain range. Under Oregon law, brand registrations must be renewed every five years.
Renewal forms will automatically be sent to registered owners on Monday, Oct. 18. Timber operators whose addresses have changed must provide ODF with their current address before that date to ensure they receive their renewal certificate.
Operators who registered in 2021 must still renew their brands for the new five-year period (Jan. 1, 2002-Dec. 31, 2026).
For more information, call (503) 945-7259 or email [email protected].
Eye surgeon to speak Oct. 20
Opthamologist and eye surgeon Dr. Darrell Genstler will speak on macular degeneration at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Brookdale Grand Prairie, 1929 Grand Prairie Road, Albany.
The event is held by the Mid Valley Low Vision Support Group.
Dr. Genstler, founding owner and major eye surgeon of Albany’s Genstler Eye Clinic, will identify macular degeneration symptoms, as well as its causes, treatments and prognosis.
The Mid Valley Low Vision Support Group is a nonprofit, self funded group dedicated to the education and challenges of people who live with low vision or no vision.
There is no charge to attend these meetings. Refreshments are served.
For more information, contact (541) 974-6233.
Gardening lectures set this month
Master Gardener Sheryl Casteen will give a free gardening lecture about pests and their predators from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 23, and Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Lebanon Senior Center, 80 Tangent St.
The new lecture includes information on bio-controls, where to purchase them, plants that attract predators, and how plants attract pests.
For more information, email Sheryl at [email protected].
Whodunnit gala for LB students
The Linn-Benton Community College Foundation is holding its annual fundraising gala as a virtual interactive mystery, “The Maltese Roadrunner,” on Saturday, Oct. 23.
The preshow begins at 6 p.m., followed by the gala at 6:30 and post-show activities at 7:15.
A private eye continues to work the case of the Maltese Roadrunner’s mysterious disappearance.
Gather clues by watching Episode 1 of the series at https://bit.ly/3uujm4j and an Episode 2 preview at https://bit.ly/3mfnTnw. See the clues online at https://bit.ly/3mfrMZA.
The gala raises money to support LBCC students. Register for the event at https://bit.ly/3uvrIsk.
Bible discussion group to meet
Lebanon’s Ignite HOPE Church will host a discussion group, “The Bible That Jesus Read,” on Friday evenings beginning Oct. 22 at the church, 580 F Street, Lebanon.
The sessions, which run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., are described as a “slow walk” through the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, to gain perspective of the context and understanding that Jesus would have shared commonly with the people around Him.
For more information, call (541) 451-1595 at [email protected].
Kids can learn to be leaders
Rural Development Initiatives is inviting area youth, grades 7-9, to participate in an upcoming Youth Rural Community Leadership class to be held in Sweet Home. Lebanon youth are invited to participate as well.
Rural Development Initiatives is a nonprofit that has been strengthening rural people, places and economies in the Pacific Northwest for over 29 years. Its programs develop networks of rural leaders, revitalize rural economies, and elevate rural voices and priorities.
The program, made possible by the City of Sweet Home, is based on the belief that thriving rural communities develop from a broad base of skilled, diverse, and motivated leaders.
The program:
♦ Focuses on developing the community leadership capacity of individuals;
♦ Is offered at no cost to participants; meals and materials are included;
♦ Asks only that participants contribute their time and commitment to complete the class project;
♦ Kicks off in November 2021, with sessions held during holidays or after school (Wednesday/Thursdays) from November 2021 to January 2022, plus one session each month in January and February (Monday Holidays) and the final session in March after school (Wednesday).
Project period is from January to March 2022 and may include additional meetings for planning.
Deadline to apply is Monday, Nov 1.
A typical class will consist of approximately 25-35 youth and is designed to connect many different voices on the challenges and opportunities faced by rural places. Area youth who wish to gain new tools for making positive change in the local community are encouraged to apply.
For more program information, training dates, and link to online application, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/SHYouthF2021.
Holiday craft fair set in November
The 14th annual Holiday Craft and Gift Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5-6, at The River Center, 3000 S. Santiam Hwy.
About 20 spaces have already been reserved for this year’s event, but the event is filling up fast with a variety of hand-crafted and other gift items including baked goods, cards, jewelry, soaps, painting, quilts, local honey, ornaments, knitted and crocheted items, signs, kettle corn, succulents, home decor and more.
Admission is free. Lots of parking and easy access is available. Door prizes will be awarded.
Vendors interested in reserving a space can pick up an application at the River Center, or by requesting one via email at [email protected]. Deadline to apply is Nov. 2. Cost is $50 for two days, or $30 for one day. Cost for electrical access is $5, and tables can be rented for $5.
The Holiday Craft and Gift Fair is part of Lebanon’s Bazaar Weekend, so please pick up a flier at the information booth for the other events in town before you leave.
Gardening course scheduled Nov. 9
The Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program is offering a series of free virtual monthly classes, The Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series, which will be broadcast via Zoom webinar at 3 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month through November at extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/growing-oregon-gardeners-level-series.
The classes are meant for those with a bit of gardening under their belt.
The topic for Nov. 9 is “Using Life Cycle Analysis to Understand the Sustainability of Your Garden Products and Practices.”
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an approach that is used to estimate the environmental impact of the production, distribution and disposal of manufactured products.
Recently, researchers have modified LCA to assess the sustainability and environmental impacts of different farming systems. In this talk, we will walk through the component parts of LCA in agricultural systems and consider how they apply to our own gardening products and practices.
The classes are free but registration is required.
To make them accessible to those who cannot attend the live session, the classes will be recorded and available at extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/growing-oregon-gardeners-level-series for anyone to watch.
Register by clicking on the desired class, then hitting the “register” button.
The classes, which include topics as far-ranging as Dazzling Dahlias to Adapting Your Garden and Landscape to Climate Change, are meant for those with a bit of gardening under their belt.
Before the pandemic, this series would have been held in person solely as continuing education for Master Gardeners, but the webinar format allows the sessions to be offered to the public.
The content, taught by horticulture experts from around the state, is meant to address current issues like wildfires, climate change and pollinators.
Join Veterans Day Parade in Albany
Albany’s Veterans Day Parade seeks parade entries for the 70th annual Veterans Day Parade, which will be a backward parade starting at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, in Albany.
Veterans and floats will be placed throughout the city of Albany. Participants driving through the parade will have access to maps online and paper versions. Special objects will be placed on some of the “stops” on the map. Find them all to be entered into a raffle. Vote for favorite float online or in person.
This year’s theme is “Every Day Is Veterans Day,” a frequent quote attributed to Albany native Jim Willis, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs director who died June 14.
Parade entries must complete an entrance application and submit a $50 fee to be included on the event map. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18. All money will be donated to charities.
To volunteer, donate or sponsor, or for more information, contact McCall Washburn via email at [email protected].
Openings also remain available for sponsors and volunteers.
For more information, contact McCall Washburn via email at [email protected].
Reflections sought for ceremony
Samaritan Evergreen Hospice will hold a virtual ceremony on Friday, Nov. 19, to remember lost loved ones and to support hospice patients and their families.
Although Light Up a Life focuses on Samaritan patients who have passed away during the previous year, it’s also open to community members who wish to donate in someone’s memory.
The deadline to include loved ones’ names is Friday, Nov. 5.
The event will be held online at www.samhealth.org/LUAL2021. Since the ceremony won’t be live, visitors can enjoy the presentations at any time.
For more information, contact Samaritan Evergreen Hospice at (541) 812-4662. To make a donation, call (844) 768-4256.