Huge Success from Gardiner, Oregon, Event

Last weekend, the Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Wine, Beer, Seafood & Music Festival-Confluence 2007 event that took place in nearby Gardiner, Oregon. More than 1,300 people attended this first annual event from as far north as Corvallis and as far south as Roseburg along the I-5 corridor. On the Oregon Coast, it was visited by those from Florence to Coos Bay and beyond.

We had many volunteers, including the Gardiner Fire Department who directed traffic and many alcohol monitors. It all went off without a hitch and people had a great time. The seven bands, wineries, seafood and craft vendors, and breweries were successful.

Bus Stops for Coastal Douglas County Festival this weekend

This weekend will be the first annual Wine, Beer, Seafood & Music Festival - Confluence 2007. Located just two miles north of Reedsport, the event will take place at the old W.F. Jewett School Building in Gardiner. The hours of the festival are noon - 8pm Saturday and on Sunday from noon - 6pm. This is the beginning of a new tradition in Coastal Douglas County, where the Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce puts on more events than any other chamber in Oregon.

For those of you coming from out of town and for locals, there will be a free shuttle bus that will make stops at the following locations:
Winchester Bay:
Winchester Bay RV Resort at 120 Marina Way
Bayfront Loop near Keel Park

Reedsport:
Reedsport High School: Circle Drive
Price 'N Pride

Gardiner:
Old IP Sawmill site parking lot across from the Fox Hole

These free shuttles will run every half hour. Plenty of free parking in Winchester Bay, Reedsport's Price 'N Pride, and at the sawmill site. Don't miss it.

Wine, Beer, Seafood & Music Festival event next weekend on the Oregon Coast

Next weekend (February 17 & 18) is the Wine, Beer, Seafood & music festival - Confluence 2007. Located at the old W.F. Jewett School building in Gardiner, this event promises to be unlike any other found on the Oregon Coast. The event will begin on Saturday, February 17 at noon and end at 8pm. Sunday, the event will begin at noon and end at 6pm.

Following are some of the highlights:
Seven bands will play throughout both days
Five Oregon Wineries
Two Oregon Microbreweries
Seafood vendors
Craft vendors
Free shuttle service to the event from Winchester Bay, Reedsport, and Gardiner
Plenty of FREE parking available at the old International Paper sawmill site in Gardiner Admission is only $5 per day Must be 21 years or older

Park your RV at the Winchester Bay RV Resort or other RV campgrounds out in Winchester Bay and take the shuttle to Gardiner. Stay in one of Reedsport's motels and take the shuttle from Reedsport High School or the Price 'N Pride parking lot.

Enjoy the weekend in beautiful Coastal Douglas County. It's an outdoor person's paradise with fishing, atv riding, clamming, crabbing, and hiking. Birding and wildlife watching is also available. Beat the cold and come over to the warmer Reedsport, Winchester Bay, and Gardiner area.

Dean Vincent seminar coming to Reedsport

Branding a community or area is increasing in popularity and importance, especially for towns so heavily dependant on tourism. Reedsport, Gardiner, and Winchester Bay are coastal Douglas County communities in that situation. Situated in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, these communities are beginning to collaborate more effectively to bring people to our piece of the Oregon Coast.

To that end, Dean Vincent, well-known marketing genius, will be facilitating a workshop that will lead Reedsport businesses through a process to determine what are the most effective marketing tools to collaboratively build their businesses. Located at the Port of Umpqua Building in Reedsport, the two-workshop set will begin tonight, February 6, at 6pm. The second workshop will be held on Thursday at the same time. The cost for these two-hour workshops is only $10. For reservations, contact 541-756-6778.

Those responsible for bringing these important workshops to our area include the Port of Umpqua, Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce, Southwestern Business Development Center, COR (Connecting Oregon for Rural Entrepreneurship), and the Umpqua Community Development Corporation. A grant was received from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.