On the 1st Friday of each month, dozens of local artists working in diverse media exhibit their creations at downtown Hood River businesses. A collaboration between local business, artists, and performers, 1st Friday is among the area's top cultural events and is enhanced by live entertainment throughout the downtown area. Participating businesses extend their hours into the evening with artists on hand to showcase and sell their art, while a variety of performers entertain throughout the downtown area. Join us in downtown Hood River and enjoy the art, the entertainment, the people, and the place!

For more information, contact the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce 1-800-366-3530 or 541-386-2000.

Join us on Tuesdays for the 50+ Shopper Club.
If you are at least 50 years of age you can take advantage of an added 10% savings on Tuesdays by simply presenting a photo identification with your proof of age to the cashier at participating stores. To view a list of some of our participating stores, click here.

Stores in the 50 Plus Shopper Club continue to grow, so please stop by the Information Center to view our most current list.

For more information please call 503-669-8060

Downtown The Dalles

stores open late, music

For more information please contact Louise at 541-296-4470

Downhill mountain bike event. $30 Call 503-272-0146 for more information.

On the First Friday of each month businesses will be hosting dozens of local artists exhibiting their works of art.

This is a great opportunity for youth to come and enjoy Soul Café. Each Friday will feature a theme night centered on issues which our young people face today. Topics will include “Life Nights,” “Issue Nights” and “Social Nights.” This is a great evening filled with games and activities which every kid will enjoy.

Join us February 5 for the opening of ART A DAY. The ART A DAY Show will run through August 1, 2010

Located in the spectacular Columbia River Gorge, the market showcases work and products from some of the finest artisans and growers anywhere. We also feature some of the best music and coolest activities going! Every Saturday, 9am-3pm.

Don't miss our 6th Oregon Lavender DAZE Festival!

Live music: Ben Bonham & the Hapa Hillbillies, Moe Dixon, Richard Tillinghast & Onehum, Kate Powers & Steve Einhorn, over 20 arts/craft vendors,Apple Valley BBQ, Sawtooth Roadhouse, Local Wine from Cathedral Ridge-2007 Oregon Winery of the year, craft classes, Alpacas, over 70 varieties of lavender available for u-pick, kid activities and much more!

Free outdoor music four concert series for families. Concerts occur in The City Park. Featured musicians to be announced. www.thedalleschamber.com
June 23 - Kevin Burke and Cal Scott
July 14 - Lee Highway - Classic Bluegrass
August 11 - Curtis Salgado and Alan Hagar - Blues
September 1 - Stolen Sweets

Since 1975, artisans, crafters, and vendors from the Northwest and beyond have gathered for Sternwheeler Days (first known as Portage Days) to showcase their wares. The Sternwheeler sightseeing cruises are a wonderful way to enjoy a river view of the Marine Park, the Bridge of the Gods and the Sailing Regatta which are all a part of the history of the festival. For the kids and the young at heart, there will be games, bingo, a dunk tank, real live mountain men with demonstrations and much more old fashioned fun. Friday: noon - 9 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Join us at the summer's kickoff beach party. After a day of demoing new gear on the water, kick back at the Event Site for an evening of live music, great food, and good friends. This weekend is also CGWA's big fundraising weekend, so come and have fun for a good cause! Sponsored by Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association.

It’s back by popular demand! On Sunday, June 27, 2010, a special day celebrating dogs, kids and family fun returns to the Hood River waterfront in the Columbia River Gorge. Dog Day Afternoon dog walk and Waterfront Community Park play day is a fun day and event proceeds benefit local non profit organizations, Hood River Adopt A Dog and Hood River Waterfront Park Community Park. www.hoodriveradoptadog.org

Who doesn’t love luscious, fresh cherries? It’s cherry season in Oregon’s beautiful Hood River Valley, and farms and attractions all along the valley’s famous Fruit Loop are welcoming the arrival of the summer’s first tree fruit. The Hood River Cherry Celebration takes place for the 18th time, Saturday and Sunday, July 10-11. Winding 35 miles through the picturesque orchards, farms and communities of the scenic Hood River Valley, the Fruit Loop is home to farms, country stores, wineries, and other attractions offering the freshest and best that the valley with a world-wide reputation for the quality of its fruit and other agricultural products has to offer.

Sommelier Mary Cressler will be taking us on a journey through the Burgundy/Alsace wine regions! The cost is $30.00 which covers a variety of delicious wines, some tasty snacks and tons of great information! Spaces are limited, so call the tasting room to reserve your spot! 541-993-8301

Thursday night at The Pines is always amazing! Local musicians fill the gallery and tasting room with their sweet impromptu rifts and classic jams! It's different every week, but the music and wine are always great! No cover charge.

Get the party started at The Pines by one of our favorite local bands displaying the best in rock/Americana.

Join us for an evening of great food and wine. Only $55 per person

Maryhill Winery & Amphitheater is thrilled to announce a crowd-pleasing lineup of nationally-acclaimed artists for their 2010 concert series. Performing this summer on the winery’s awe-inspiring stage – perched on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River and majestic Mt. Hood – will be Train, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Natalie Merchant and Earth, Wind & Fire. Located on the Washington-Oregon border, Maryhill Winery’s 4,000-seat outdoor amphitheater offers sweeping views of the Columbia River Gorge. The amphitheatre is built into an existing slope on the grounds next to the winery and tasting room, enchanting lovers of music, wine and the great outdoors with its magic every year.

Thursday night at The Pines is always amazing! Local musicians fill the gallery and tasting room with their sweet impromptu rifts and classic jams! It's different every week, but the music and wine are always great! No cover charge.

Thursday night at The Pines is always amazing! Local musicians fill the gallery and tasting room with their sweet impromptu rifts and classic jams! It's different every week, but the music and wine are always great! No cover charge.

Maryhill Winery & Amphitheater is thrilled to announce a crowd-pleasing lineup of nationally-acclaimed artists for their 2010 concert series. Performing this summer on the winery’s awe-inspiring stage – perched on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River and majestic Mt. Hood – will be Train, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Natalie Merchant and Earth, Wind & Fire. Located on the Washington-Oregon border, Maryhill Winery’s 4,000-seat outdoor amphitheater offers sweeping views of the Columbia River Gorge. The amphitheatre is built into an existing slope on the grounds next to the winery and tasting room, enchanting lovers of music, wine and the great outdoors with its magic every year.

Celebrated glass artist William Morris has created an original and fully realized world in this engaging body of work that fuses hot glass and regional landscape. Included are 38 glass vessels inspired by the flora and fauna of three Pacific Northwest microclimates: the Steens Mountain region and the Sisters area, both in Oregon, and the Cascade Mountains north of Seattle. All of the works in the exhibit are drawn from the George R. Stroemple Collection.

Maryhill Museum of Art is located off Highway 97, 12 miles south of Goldendale, Washington. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 15 to November 15.

Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $2 for children age 6-16.

Sandwiches, salads, espresso drinks, cold beverages, desserts and pastries are available on-site at Café Maryhill. The Museum Store features art and history books, jewelry, Native American crafts and other mementos.

Four miles east of the museum is Sam Hill’s replica of England’s Stonehenge, built as a tribute to the soldiers of Klickitat County who lost their lives in World War I. Admission to the Stonehenge Memorial is free; it is open from 7:00 a.m. to dusk daily. Nearby the Klickitat County War Memorial was erected in 1995 to honor those who have died in the service of their country since World War I.

Heritage exhibition & Old-Time Music Jamboree. Celebrate the heritage of quilting traditions. See heritage quilts of the past, some dating back to the days of the Oregon Trail, hand-sewn by those who made the 2,000 plus mile journey westward and artistic quilts of contemporary times. Arts and crafts on sale. Huckleberry jam and other wildberry goodies, historical and Nature books, and unique Oregon Trail walking sticks, plus storytelling. Live old-time music, traditional folk, blues for daytime jams and concerts.

The Columbia Gorge Racing Association is proud to present the third annual Gorge Laser Performance Clinic with veteran US Laser sailor and coach Steve Bourdow. This is a terrific opportunity for experienced Laser sailors to take your game to the next level. The clinic is open to sailors over 18*who have good boat handling skills and are comfortable in winds up to 25 knots. Enrollment is limited to 25 to ensure personal attention to every participant. Full rigs and Radials are both welcome.

Head Coach: Steve BourdowSteve Bourdow has been a world-class competitor and coach for more than 30 years. Steve is a two-time World Champion and 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist in the Flying Dutchman class. He is a veteran of eight Laser World Championships, placing second to Glenn Bourke in 1990. He is much sought after as a personal and clinic coach, working with Olympic-level sailors in the Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, 505, 29er, and a variety of other one-design classes since 1985. During his eight-year tenure as Head Coach at Stanford University, Steve led the Cardinal sailing team to three national titles. Steve lives and sails in Santa Cruz, California.

Experience the ultimate thrill in Laser sailing: 18 miles dead downwind from Cascade Locks to Hood River through the magnificent Columbia River Gorge. Big breeze, big waves, and jaw-dropping scenery make this ride a genuine E-ticket! Not for the faint of heart, entry is limited to sailors who have good boat handling skills and are comfortable in winds up to 25+ knots. If that sounds like you, sign up now and get ready for the experience of a lifetime!

Race Format
The Gorge Blowout is a single race, one-way sprint starting off the beach at Cascade Locks and finishing under the bridge at Hood River. The course is 18 miles long, all downwind, with one stop at the halfway point - Viento Park - for lunch and reality check. Assuming typical midsummer conditions in the Gorge, you can expect a building breeze as you sail up river, starting at 10-15 knots and finishing at 20-30 knots (watch out for the wind surfers in Swell City!). The current elapsed time record, set by Brett Davis in 2003, is 2.5 hours (an average speed of more than 7 mph!).

Following the race, competitors and friends are invited to the traditional après Blowout rendezvous at one of our favorite Hood River pubs for hydro/carbo replenishment, post race analysis, and awards ceremony.

The Columbia Gorge Racing Association is pleased to welcome the Laser Masters to the Columbia River Gorge for the 2010 Pacific Coast Championships. If you've never been to the Gorge you are in for a treat! For official information about the regatta, please see the Notice of Race.

Eligibility
The regatta is open to members of the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) age 35 and over. Competitors will compete in the following divisions, according to age on regatta start date:

Apprentice: 35-44 years of age
Master: 45-54 years of age
Grand Master: 55-64 years of age
Great Grand Master: 65+ years of age
Both Standard and Radial rigs are invited. Providing that a minimum of 15 Radial entries has been received by the pre-registration deadline, the Radial fleet shall be given a separate start and shall be scored separately from the Standard Rig fleet. Otherwise, competitors shall sail as a single fleet with the Rig Swapping Rule in effect (i.e., competitors may choose Standard, Radial or 4.7 rigs at their discretion, provided that all rig changes are made on shore and all sails have the same number)