The weekend is upon us and there are plenty of things to do around Philomath and if that’s not enough, I picked out a few activities taking place in Corvallis.
Here we go with a rundown of events and activities for the weekend — defined here as 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Friday, May 3
Begin the weekend without cooking with a visit to the College United Methodist Church’s Omelet Dinner, which is offered on the first Friday each month. Held since 1988 to raise money for parsonage property taxes, the meal includes a made-to-order omelet, homemade scones, fruit and a beverage for $8. You can add scones and gravy for another $2 and desserts are available for an extra charge.
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A special Moonlight Country Mixer out at Marys River Grange Hall will feature a PNW Stompede qualifier. Social dancing is mixed in as part of the evening along with competitions in line dance, country swing and line dance choreography with an entry fee of $10 per event. Registration will be open from 5:30-7 p.m. and the competition starts at 7:30 p.m. Prizes will be general admission tickets to the Oregon Jamboree Music Festival and winners who qualify will have an opportunity to perform on the jamboree’s main stage. For those attending for social dancing only, the admission is $5.
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Maxtivity’s Graphic Activism class with Louisa Hamachek runs from 7-9 p.m. The class focuses on using your artistic voice for social change. The cost is $30. Call 541-714-3443 for information.
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“Monty Python’s Spamalot” opens Friday night at the Majestic Theatre in Corvallis. The musical is based on the classic film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” The show begins at 7:30 p.m. with tickets available online ($20 adults, $18 students/seniors). There will also be performances on Saturday evening (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m.) and over the next few weeks (May 9-12 and May 16-19).
Saturday, May 4
Get out your work gloves and contribute to the maintenance of Mount Union Cemetery with a work party to run from 9 a.m. to noon. Organizers will have a variety of tasks that could include mowing, weeding, trimming shrubs and hedges, cleaning headstones and so on. For anyone with questions, shoot an email to Janet Cornelius.
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It’s another big weekend for those who love gardening and plants. In Philomath, we have the plant sale hosted by the high school’s botany students with Saturday hours from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (or until everything’s gone). The sale got started Thursday and continued Friday afternoon (12:30-6 p.m.). You’ll find it at the greenhouse on the west side of PHS. Plants are 4-inch pots with each priced at $2 or mix and match six for $10. The kids are raising money for the botany program.
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Over at the fairgrounds, the Benton County Master Gardener Association’s Annual Plant Sale and Clinic will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Organizers said folks will find about 10,000 plants under cover at the Solar Barn and in the Floral Courtyard. There will be ornamental plants, native plants, deer resistant and drought-tolerant plants, vegetables and herbs, etc. Proceeds support educational programs.
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The Philomath High Robotics and Engineering Division program will host the first day of its rummage sale fundraiser from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Running at the same time on Saturday will be a mattress sale fundraiser. Mattress World will be on site with its products and will donate a portion of the proceeds to PHRED.
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In the evening, the Philomath Rotary Club’s 22nd annual Salmon and Jazz fundraiser will run from 5-8 p.m. in the high school’s auditorium. The evening includes a silent auction, dinner and dancing to the music of the PHS jazz band. Ticket sales closed a couple of weeks ago so this is informational for those planning to attend. If you missed out on a ticket, there’s always next year.
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The Old Mill Center for Children and Families will also have its 44th annual dinner and auction at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center at OSU. Proceeds from the “Be a Hero for Kids” fundraiser helps the center in its efforts to serve as a full-service provider of preschool, mental health, early intervention and parent support for children and families. Ticket sales for this event closed April 26 and so again, this one is informational for those planning to attend.
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If you’d be interested in learning more about our neighbors to the east, a Corvallis Welcome Tour meets at 4:30 p.m. Organized by Engage Corvallis (tickets are $14), the walking tour begins at Corvallis Museum and includes an interesting look back at the city’s past.
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A benefit concert to bring awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous People is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Whiteside Theater in Corvallis. Mato Wayuhi, Oglala Lakota artist and musician who is the composer of the TV series “Reservation Dogs” and Niandra Blonde, an Apsáalooke guitarist and musician, will headline the event. Opening will be Kunu Bearchum, of the Northern Cheyenne and Ho-Chunk Nations, an Oregon-based multimedia producer, filmmaker and recording artist. Tickets ($15 to $25 presale and $20 to $30 at the door) are available online.
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Also on Saturday in Corvallis, there is the Corvallis Farmers Market from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the downtown area, a 5K Fun Run and Ocean Awareness Event from 1-5 p.m. at Bruce Starker Arts Park and Oregon State University’s Pet Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Dryden Hall (700 SW 30th St.).
Sunday, May 5
PHRED’s rummage sale fundraiser continues for a second day with the hours of 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Check out the event — there just might be something there that you can’t live without and you’ll be helping a great cause.
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The Corvallis Sustainability Coalition will kick off Natural Areas Celebration Week with a Camas event from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Philomath at Marys River Park and Natural Area. Both species of camas will be blooming and there are other wildflowers to see along an easy, flat walk of less than a mile. Organizers said registration is required. For those with questions, email Don Boucher. Activities continue through May 12. Here’s a schedule of events.
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As mentioned earlier, it’s a big weekend for those who love gardening. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., the Corvallis Spring Garden Festival will occur at The Arts Center and Madison Avenue (located between Seventh and Eighth streets next to Central Park in Corvallis). This free event features vendors with a wide variety of items, including annuals, perennials, specialty plants, garden art, gifts, ceramics, seeds, wearable art, edible goods, succulents, herbs and more. There are also sweet and savory goodies, frozen treats and live entertainment. The event is sponsored by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department, Corvallis-Albany Farmers’ Market and The Arts Center.
Next Weekend
>> May 10: Philomath track and field on Day 1 at the Oregon West Conference meet in Newport, 3 p.m. (field events), 4 p.m. (track events).
>> May 10: Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours at Marcotte Distilling, 5-7 p.m.
>> May 10: Bingo at the Grange, 6-8:30 p.m.
>> May 11: School Board Meet-and-Greet Listening Session at Timber Towne Coffee, 9-11 a.m.
>> May 11: Mount Union Memorial Event at Mount Union Cemetery, 10 a.m.
>> May 11: Philomath track and field on Day 2 at the Oregon West Conference meet in Newport, noon (field events), 1 p.m. (track events).
>> May 11: PHS baseball vs. Santiam Christian at Terry Stephenson Field, 1 p.m.
