Newly named 2022 Strawberry Court members are, from left, princesses Clarissa Lewis, Moriah Dahlgren, Hailey Savedra, Trinity Holden and Laurel McGuigan. Next year’s Strawberry Festival theme is “Strawberry Vacation.”
Nazarene Church hosts nativity
The Lebanon Church of the Nazarene is hosting a Christmas Drive Thru Nativity, at 600 W. D St., through Dec. 25.
The event is free. Tune in and listen to the story as you drive through. Although it’s open 24 hours, those who visit after dark will be guided through via lights.
Senior Center holiday fun
Lebanon Senior Center is offering a wide variety of online activities for local seniors during the holiday season.
They include crafts, classes and other events that local seniors can participate in at home to stay socially and mentally engaged. For more information, Find “Lebanon Oregon Senior Center” on Facebook and click on the “events” button, or call the Senior Center at (541) 258-4918.
Cascade Lights through Dec. 31
Lebanon Mayor Paul Aziz is hosting his traditional annual Cascade Lights display on the southeast corner of Sherman and Williams, just a few blocks from the Christmas in the Park Lights at Ralston Park, through Dec. 31.
The computer-controlled display is set to music (set your car radio to 100.9 FM to hear the lights) or listen to the outdoor speakers until 10 p.m. Emceed by an animated snowman, the show features more than 60,000 LED lights. Donations are accepted in the box out front. Show runs till 10 p.m. weeknights and till 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Library Friends book sale
Lebanon Friends of the Library holds its next monthly book sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Senior Center, 80 Tangent St.
For more information, email [email protected].
Spaghetti feed, auction fundraiser
A spaghetti feed fundraiser and silent auction will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at Community Bible Church, 2600 Stoltz Hill Road, to support the family of Thomas Radley, who is battling cancer.
Dinner will be served all evening. Two silent auctions will be held during the feed, the first from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the second from 6:30 to 7:30. All proceeds will go to the family. Thomas, 13, is being treated for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
Bazaar in Lacomb Dec. 18-19
Lacomb will host a Holiday Bazaar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 18-19, at the Grange Hall, 34095 E. Lacomb Road.
This inaugural event will feature local crafters’ creations. Food and drink will be available. Openings for vendors are available. Contact Alexius Melton via Facebook.
Tennessee train lights show
Tennessee Thunder Railroad is offering Holiday Train Lights at 37672 Kgal Drive through Dec. 22.
Ride the quarter-sized train through a four-acre park decorated with thousands and thousands of lights. The train runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.
For more information, visit www.ttsrailroad.com.
Highway 20 work to stall traffic
The Oregon Department of Transportation has commenced work on safety improvements to Highway 20 between Albany and Corvallis.
Phase 1, which covers the area from west of Garland Nursery to the Bowers Slough Bridge, is expected to be completed by August 2023. The first week includes surveying and restriping the full project area.
Drivers should expect nighttime work with a single lane of traffic using flaggers and pilot cars to control the work zone. There may be up to 20 minute delays.
Work will continue over the first few months near Independence Highway on the south side of Highway 20. Drivers should expect intermittent lane closures during evenings between Sunday and Friday.
For more information, visit bit.ly/3xQ5Yct or tripcheck.com.
Christmas concert in Sweet Home
Special guest Jessie Leigh headlines a spirited evening of musical holiday fun at a Christmas Gala concert set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, in the auditorium at Sweet Home High School, 1641 Long St.
Leigh, who has performed at the Oregon Jamboree multiple times in recent years, leads a winter slate that includes Melody Reese with Tom Jordan, David and Titus Dominy, Stefani Brown, Scott Swanson, Allison and Jenna Hurst, and Cathy Cheshire.
General admission tickets are $15.
The show is being produced by the Sweet Home Oregon Coalition for Artistic and Scholastic Enrichment (SHOCASE) and the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce, and is sponsored by Cascade Timber Consulting, with support from Samaritan Health Services, Wendi Melcher, the Caldwell Realty Group, the Linn-Co Federal Credit Union and the Boulder Falls Inn.
For more information and tickets, visit bit.ly/30K0F20.
Celebrate holidays with After 5
After 5 Connection returns with “Hang Your Stockings with Care,” a program to be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, at Ma’s Restaurant, 2416 S. Santiam Highway, Lebanon.
All ladies and gentlemen are invited. Guest speaker Laura Loffredo, a retired bed-and-breakfast owner from Chicago, will re-enact Biblical scenes featuring Mary learning she is to become the mother of the Messiah. The evening will also include a traditional sing-along, fun and food. Please bring a wrapped pair of fun socks for a gift exchange.
Cost is $15, which includes everything. Credit cards cannot be accepted.
For reservations, contact Sherri at (541) 258-6414 or Nancy at (541) 259-1306 or [email protected]. If unable to attend, please cancel your reservation.
Candy Cane train rides
Santiam Excursion Train is hosting one-hour Candy Cane Express train rides through Dec. 19 with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot cocoa, candy canes, and an arts and crafts station.
Bar beverages and popcorn can be purchased. Tickets are $20-$27; no cost for active military and veterans.
A limited number of tickets are available for a more intimate, two-hour VIP event on Friday, Dec. 17, which includes a catered buffet, hot cocoa, sweet treat, VIP gift, and a visit with Santa Claus. Tickets are $50-$85; cost for active military and veterans is free on coach only.
Meet at the train station, 750 S. Third St. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/set/index-responsive.cfm?pgfn=calendarList (or visit santiamexcursiontrains.com, click on “Tickets,” and make selections from the drop down lists).
Drive-through Storybook fun
Christmas Storybook Land welcomes people of all ages to its 45th presentation through Dec. 17 at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E., Albany.
This year will be a drive-through experience featuring indoor and outdoor Christmas forest wonderlands with more than 100 scenes of characters from Mother Goose rhymes, children’s fairy tales and family movies, two elaborate model train displays, a Victorian village, and the North Pole with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Entry is free, and candy canes will be passed out for the kids.
Canned food donations will be accepted during the event. For more information, visit ChristmasStorybookLand.org.
Dec. 17 deadline for toy program
Applications for the Lebanon Christmas Toy Program at River Center Church, 3000 S. Santiam Hwy., are due Friday, Dec. 17.
For more information or to apply, call (541) 451-1271, or click on the banner at TheRiverCenter.net.
Virtual fun run for B&G Club
Need to get motivated amid all those holiday goodies?
Western University of Health Sciences COMP-NW will hold a virtual 5K run fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Santiam from Dec. 17 through Jan. 3.
The race is a virtual 5K, to be completed on your own time, on your own route. Participants who complete the race and upload their timed results or click the “I finished, but did not time my run,” on the race website under the “Results” tab, will be entered to win one of three $25 Amazon gift cards.
The entrance fee is a donation. Sign-ups are free.
For more information, to sign up, and to donate, visit runsignup.com/Race/Info/OR/Lebanon/WesternUDashaftertheHolidayBash.
Ugly Sweater train ride Dec. 18
Santiam Excursion Train will host an Ugly Sweater Express adults-only train ride from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18.
Find the ugliest Christmas sweater to wear for this Tickets are $25-45, and include appetizers and music. A full bar will be available.
Meet at the train station, 750 S. Third St. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/set/index-responsive.cfm?pgfn=calendarList (or visit santiamexcursiontrains.com, click on “Tickets,” and make selections from the drop down lists).
Dec. 19 paintball at The Swamp
The Swamp will host a “Wreck Your Balls” paintball game Sunday, Dec. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at S&F Paintball Field, 38488 Shady Oak Lane.
There will be games themed to the storyline, which will be posted at Facebook.com/Swamp.PB. Games generally have a 20-minute format.
Field fee is $25 for those bringing their own equipment and paint. See the Facebook page for equipment rental and paint purchase costs. Pre-register and sign a waiver online at snfscenarios.com. Kids aged 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information, call (541) 409-0511, email [email protected], or visit snfscenarios.com.
Nurses, ministers invited to meet
The Faith Community Health Network of the Mid-Willamette Valley meets from 4 to 6 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Meeting dates float to accommodate major holidays.
FCHN is a network of nurses and health ministers from diverse faiths across the Mid-Willamette Valley serving – or who want to serve – in their faith community and who are passionate to bring improved healthcare access and equity to the most vulnerable populations. Faith Community Nursing is a recognized nursing specialty that has grown in popularity with nurses who want to improve their spiritual care skills at any point in their career, or seasoned nurses retiring from their paid positions who want to keep their license active and use their expertise to serve their faith community.
Check the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce Calendar, email [email protected], or call Deb at (541) 248-0595 for info on upcoming meetings.
Free Christmas dinner Dec. 24
The Lebanon Soup Kitchen will serve a free Christmas meal from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 24, at 170 E. Grant St.
For more information, call (541) 451-7667.
Pajama Ride on train Dec. 24
Santiam Excursions will host a one-hour Christmas Eve Pajama Ride at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 24, with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot cocoa, candy canes, and an arts and crafts station.
Bar beverages and popcorn can be purchased. Tickets are $20-27; no cost for active military and veterans.
Meet at the train station, 750 S. 3rd St. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at https://www.dynamicticketsolutions.com/set/index-responsive.cfm?pgfn=calendarList (or visit santiamexcursiontrains.com, click on “Tickets,” and make selections from the drop down lists).
Red Cross blood drive Dec. 27
The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 27, in Activities Room A at the Veterans Care Center of Oregon, 600 North Fifth St., Lebanon.
To schedule an appointment or for more information, call (800) RED-CROSS or visit RedCrossBlood.org (sponsor code: ORVeteransLebanon).
Chamber taking DSA nominations
Nominations for Lebanon Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Services Awards are being accepted by the chamber.
Deadline for nominations is Jan. 7. The DSA banquet will be held Feb. 18. Tickets are available at the chamber, 1040 Park St.
Letters of recommendations should accompany a nomination form, which is available from the chamber or at lebanon-chamber.org.
Winners are selected based on criteria that includes civic and community involvement, social and economic impact, leadership and overall community service. Details are required.
For more information, call (541) 258- 7164.
OSU announces winter career fair
Oregon State University has announced its slate for its Winter Term Career Fair series, with multiple events scheduled for February 2022.
The virtual Winter Civil and Construction Engineering Fair, which attracts some 70 employers in those fields, will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14. Sign up for the event at https://bit.ly/3IbXjpv.
The Winter Career and Internship Fair for all industries will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the Memorial Union ballroom on OSU’s Corvallis campus. This fair attracts over 100 employers looking to fill jobs and internships in STEM fields, liberal studies, social services, grad programs and business services. Register at bit.ly/31q1AF9.
The 2022 Nonprofit and Public Service Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Memorial Union ballroom.
Attendees will meet representatives from more than 50 nonprofit and local government organizations representing a wide variety of fields who are seeking OSU volunteers, interns and employees. Sign up at bit.ly/3DsF6Aw.