Florence, Oregon is a unique small town on the Oregon Coast. It has all the beach amenities with vast expanses of beach. The Dunes live here and have very active riders, hikers and sand sleders. The Bella can be seen when the winter storms reveal her. The Snowy Plover play, nest and are protected on her beaches. Whales pass by the campsites and sea lions play in the waters here. 

But it is the town itself that is celebrating 125 years of being with a ‘block party’ to beat all block parties. Known as ‘The City of Rhododendrons,’ Florence is a major destination for retirees while still retaining a multi-generational population. Florence has a very mild climate and seldom sees snow. It is lined on one side by forests of Douglas Fir, the main timbered tree in Oregon. Everything grows and Florence is renowned for its wild, flowering ‘Rhody’ vegetation. 

While there is a lot of history surrounding Florence, its more modern aspects are what are truly unique. Florence abounds with cultural activities including art, poetry, theater, many varieties of both much and dance. Seacoast Entertainment Association brings quality, professional entertainment to the Florence Events Center 9 times during the year. Florence has a resident community orchestra that performs a few times a year. 

There is more but let’s get to the birthday block party celebration. From 5:30 to 9:00 pm on Friday, July 27, Bay Street in Historic Old Town will be closed for this evening event. One of the main activities will be a Historic Treasure Hunt that will have participants visiting businesses and sites up and down Bay Street. There is a prize at the end of the hunt. Additionally, the city will sponsor giving away one scoop of BJ’s Ice Cream. When asked if there was an age limit for the ice cream give-away the city manager said, “125.” 

There will be a variety of activities for all the generations including rock painting, games and the BeauxBooth photo booth. Based in Portland, Oregon, Pressure Point Band will provide live entertainment. Their music is eclectic in nature to appeal to all ages. First responders will have booths and the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum will also be present. 

The Oregon Mayor’s Conference will be convening in Florence this same weekend. With 70 mayors from all over Oregon anticipated to attend, participation in the birthday celebration will be up considerably. Everyone loves to visit Florence Old Town and the mayors will be no exception. 

Come to the coast this Friday to wish Florence a Very Happy 125th Birthday. Don’t forget to stop in to say hello to us at http://www.umpquahaven.com.  We are just 36 miles from Florence and it’s a beautiful drive all the way. 

Photo credit goes to Ken McDougal (http://www.kenmcdougal.com) Thanks, Ken! The Siuslaw River Bridge