Explore Albany, Discover your story
Welcome to AVA’s monthly calendar of events. Take a peek and plan your stay-cation or your next visit to our region. The city’s most notable annual events include historic home tours, outdoor summer concerts and movies under the stars, and the Northwest Art and Air Festival.
*Note for event organizers: If you’d like to have your event listed on the AVA calendar, head over to our contact page and submit your event to us.
Cheer on teams at the 2023 SOOR Summer Regional Games Softball at Mid-Valley Family YMCA Fields in Albany. Also see the Special Olympics of Oregon website to find out about all of their programs.
In May of 1923 the Jefferson Women’s Club appointed a committee to find a suitable place to house a public library. The first library was opened on July 10, 1923, in the Smith and Fontaine General Merchandise Store with club members serving as volunteer librarians.
Join the Jefferson Public Library for their Centennial Open House on Aug. 1 from 10am – 7pm. They’re celebrating the library’s past, present, and future with games, food & fun!
Photo: Santiam at Rest by Dave Maestas
No matter what you’re searching for, you’re sure to find it at Brownsville’s annual Antique Faire in Pioneer Park. 70+ of vendors come together with their treasures and there’s something for everyone. Breakfast and lunch will be available and there’s plenty of shade and tables to relax for a while. You’ll enjoy live music and a beautiful park setting and leave with vintage goodies. Also, be sure not to miss the vintage car show!
Date: Saturday, August 5, 2023 9am-3pm
Location: Brownsville Pioneer Park, 200 W Park Ave.
Free Admission
Photo: “Antique St. Car Show 1” By Oliver J. Anderson
Mid-Valley Bicycle Club invites YOU!
Participate in our 44th Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour
Sunday, August 13, 2023
All ages and bicycle experience levels are invited to join this one-day cycling event in the Mid-Willamette Valley, offering fun, fitness and the excitement of other cyclists as we ride past several historic bridges.
To register or get more information: register.coveredbridgetour.org
With 5 different route options, aid stations with water and snacks, and mechanical support on call, cyclists will be able to enjoy the rolling hills and scenery of the Willamette Valley. The shortest route is 25 miles and the longest reaches the “century” mark at over 100 miles. Depending on the route chosen, riders will cross between 3 and 5 historic covered bridges.
Longer routes include a pre-packaged lunch.
Registration fees start at $15 for youth under 18, and $30-$45 for adults, dependent upon the route. A $5 late registration fee will apply after August 1, so don’t delay, sign up today!
Participants bring their bicycles, helmets, and sunscreen, and the Mid-Valley Bicycle Club (MVBC) offers the routes, logistics, and hospitality. Proceeds from the Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour supports the Mid-Valley Bicycle Club’s bike safety classes in the Corvallis and Albany school districts. This program annually has provided bike education to over 800 elementary and middle school children and allows MVBC to donate over 300 bike helmets to young riders in our communities.
Here is what previous participant had to say about the ride:
“Your organization did a fantastic job organizing and providing support during the ride. The course was exceptionally well marked, clean with rest stops well equipped and nicely spaced out. Having such a nice lunch at the mid-way point for century riders was a real treat. It’s so nice to have some real food at a peaceful cool place to sit down for a few minutes and enjoy lunch especially after you’ve been on a bike saddle for 50 miles with another 50 to go. Thanks
again for putting together such a fun ride.”
Mid-Valley Bicycle Club ● info@mvbc.com ● mvbc.com
About MVBC;
The Mid-Valley Bicycle Club is a non-profit cycling club centered in Corvallis, Oregon, one of the nation’s top bicycle commuting cities. The club was founded in 1974, and is open to cyclists of all ages and abilities. Its primary purpose is to promote general interest in cycling relative to bicycle education, safety, transportation and recreation.
Photo: “Gilkey Bridge” by Oliver J. Anderson
Join Paddle Oregon for four sun-ripened days dreaming your way down the magnificent Willamette River. It’s here that you’ll experience the river in a markedly different way, with spectacular meals, entertainment, lots of laughs and more memories than a mere four days really deserve to make.
August 17 – 20, 2023
This year’s trip will wind along 60+ miles of river, beginning at Peoria Park and ending at Keizer Rapids Park. Please see www.willamettewatertrail.org for more information about the segments of river they will be paddling.
Registration is $799 per adult guest and $649 for minors.
Registration includes: 4 days paddling on a National Scenic Water Trail and 3 nights camping, catered meals throughout the event, daily baggage shuttle, nightly entertainment, education opportunities, a 20th Annual Paddle Oregon t-shirt, safety paddlers, ACA event insurance coverage and logistical support.
Photo: “Paddle Boats” By Oliver J. Anderson
The Highland Games originated in Scotland and have increasingly become a way for people to learn about and celebrate Celtic Heritage around the globe. The games include caber toss, stone throw, Scottish hammer throw, weight for distance, weight over bar, and sheaf toss. There will also be vendors, pipe bands, and representatives and information about Clans/Societies. For information, visit their FACEBOOK page.
The John Fiechter House, also known as Failing Cottage, is is believed to be the oldest house in Benton County. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visitors to the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge will be able to visit and tour this historic 1855 pioneer house every Saturday, July 8 through Sept. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and learn the history of one of Benton county’s early families.
The Fiechter House is located on Finley Refuge Road, across from the red Cabell barn. Visitors can also stop in at the refuge’s Nature Store for directions.
Photo credit: John Fiechter House, by Ian Poellet. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
THE 2023 EDWARD JONES
RALLY IN THE VALLEY
August 24-27, 2023
Presented by Albany Pickleball Club
Hosted by Shane Denning at the Albany/LBCC Pickleball Courts
*Doubles Skill/Age Round Robin format (1 game to 15, win by 2) with Single Elimination playoffs (2 of 3 to 11 win by 2) for Gold/Silver/Bronze.
*Under 50 & Senior Divisions (10+, 50+, 60+, 70+) for all skills (3.0 – 5.0
*Medals will be awarded for all skill levels in combined brackets
*Pro/Open Men’s and Women’s Doubles Brackets with Prize Money. Prize money awarded based on number of teams registered in each bracket.
31st Annual
Portuguese Water Dog Club of America
National Specialty
Albany, Oregon
August 25th – September 1st, 2023
Click here for the full brochure of events and schedule: PDF Brochure
Water Trial Address
Dexter Lake
850 Shore Line Drive
Lowell, OR 97452
Show Address
Linn County Expo Center
3700 Knox Butte Road E.
Albany, Oregon 97322
Photo: A Portuguese water dog competes during a water trial at Chatfield State Park in Colorado, by Tom Auclair. From Wikimedia Commons.
THE 2023 EDWARD JONES
RALLY IN THE VALLEY
August 24-27, 2023
Presented by Albany Pickleball Club
Hosted by Shane Denning at the Albany/LBCC Pickleball Courts
*Doubles Skill/Age Round Robin format (1 game to 15, win by 2) with Single Elimination playoffs (2 of 3 to 11 win by 2) for Gold/Silver/Bronze.
*Under 50 & Senior Divisions (10+, 50+, 60+, 70+) for all skills (3.0 – 5.0
*Medals will be awarded for all skill levels in combined brackets
*Pro/Open Men’s and Women’s Doubles Brackets with Prize Money. Prize money awarded based on number of teams registered in each bracket.
