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Albany Visitors Association
122 Ferry St SW
Albany, OR 97321
PO Box 965
Phone:
541-928-0911
Newsletter
Explore Albany, Discover your story
Announcing the 2017 AVA Photo Contest
The time has arrived for all our shutterbugs to polish their lenses and head on out to the great outdoors. It’s the 2017 Albany Visitors Association Photo Contest and you don’t want to miss this great opportunity to have your artistry shared with thousands.
This is your chance to enter your work into several categories that might end up gracing the cover of our largest annual publication, The 2018 Albany Visitor Guide. We also use contest submissions in other publications and advertising that is seen across the US and internationally.
Focus your work on Linn County, Albany (and its many outlaying areas), and the Willamette Valley. We have so much to capture and share with the world about our amazing community and landscape.
In the “technical resources” section below, we’ve provided downloadable forms that contain the rules, image and use release, model release, and the full application to submit with your work. The AVA 2017 Photo Contest also accepts video work, so be sure to fill in the right form.
The deadline for all submissions is February 17, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. Submissions will be accepted at any time before that date and time. Please read the complete list of rules to find out what formats are accepted.
The following categories frame the 2017 AVA Photo Contest
- Scenic
- Landmarks
- Events
- Life in our community
- Open (does not fit the above categories)
- Historic Albany districts
- Culinary
- Video
- Best cover photo
Please make sure to read the full document entitled “2017 Contest categories and deadlines” in the Technical Resources section below for a full explanation of the categories.
Awards
On March 8, 2017, an awards reception will be hosted at the Albany Visitors Association. The contest is open to photographers of all skill levels. First through third place ribbons will be given to winners in each of nine categories. Overall winner will be awarded Champion and Reserve Champion Ribbons. There will also be a ribbon awarded for Peoples Choice, with a winner voted for by the general public. Prizes will be awarded to Champion, Reserve Champion, and Peoples Choice winners.
Technical Resources
Photo contest cover letter from AVA: Download a brief explanation of how to complete your submission packet (PDF)
2017 Contest categories and deadlines: Download the categories and information on deadlines and awards (PDF)
Rules: Download the rules for the photo contest, still shots (PDF) (*Rules for video submissions are listed separately.)
Photo contest submission form: Download the form for still photo entries (PDF) (*Video submissions forms listed separately.)
Photographer’s release form: Download the image or video release form (PDF) (*This is different than the model release form, and MUST accompany your entry to be considered for use in our publications, digital or print use.)
Model release form: Download the model release form (PDF) (*No entries featuring children, teens, or adults with recognizable faces will be considered without the model release form.)
Video contest rules: Download the video contest rules (PDF)
Video contest submission form: Download the video submission form (PDF)
What to do in Oregon in 2017
Get ready for an Oregon year to be remembered! Many travelers will visit Oregon for the very first time—particularly in late August when a Total Solar Eclipse will occur on the 21st. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is prime TSE viewing territory, and many locales along the eclipse route will feature special viewing activities, food, celebration, and drink, including Albany.
The new 2017 Oregon Events Calendar, published by Pamplin Media Group, can help you plan your vacation—whether you hail from New York or Newberg. The Albany Visitors Association will have a supply of the publication at their office soon, but until we do, check out the digital edition.
In addition to the eclipse, Oregon is home to numerous annual music festivals, cycling and paddling relays, brew smackdowns, winery and culinary tours, and other venues to taste and experience our state in an entirely new way throughout the year. So come on, join us this year in Albany, Oregon.
*For print copies, please contact AVA at 541-9288-0911. Copies can be mailed, or you can stop by the office at 3rd and Lyon Streets in Downtown Albany, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Night Time Magic light display winners
Ladies and Gentleman! Announcing the “Night Time Magic” light contest winning displays! For all of those participating, we extend our greatest thanks for your participation. The following four light displays were selected by the judges:“Lights of the Polar Express,” 3849 Oakmont Loop NE, Albany, OR 97322.
“WATT-A-SHOW” (light up the darkness), 2035 Jefferson St SE, Albany, OR 9732.
“Snowman Land,” 255 Country Club Ln NW, Albany OR 9732.
“Light up the Night,” 1327 NW North Albany Rd, Albany, Oregon 97321.
Winners will receive a Winner Award Certificate and a $50 gift card to Albany’s downtown first-run movie house: The Pix Theatre. Photos of the winning homes will be on display at the Pix Theatre and on the Albany Visitors Association website along with a list of locations to see. Winners will also be entitled to bragging rights for the entire year! Thank you to all the homeowners who participate in this program. Without your efforts, this wonderful community tradition would not be possible.
The winners of the Night Time Magic Program are determined by a panel of judges who conduct individual random drive-by sightings between December 8 and 15. Homes must be nominated to win.
This is the 29th year that the Albany Visitors Association has been helping to make the holidays bright with the Annual Night Time Magic Holiday Light Program. All nominations receive recognition for participation in Albany’s Night Time Magic program.
The reward for participation: Your holiday spirits will be lifted, your home brightened, your neighborhood enlightened and your community enlivened. If you are interested in being a part of Historic Albany’s “Magic” for 2017’s contest, contact the Albany Visitors Association, 110 3rd Ave SE, or telephone 541-928-0911 to receive future announcements.
Map of the displays
Feel free to download a PDF of the 2016 light display map. If you would rather have one mailed to you, contact us at 541-928-0911 or stop by the AVA office at 3rd and Lyons.
Past winners
2015:
- 222 Fourth Avenue SE, Albany OR 97321
- 1000 Lincoln St SW, Albany OR 97321
- 2905 Lawnridge St SW, Albany OR 97321
- 140 First Avenue West, Albany, Oregon 97321
2014:
- 627 Broadalbin SW, Albany OR 97321
- 4160 Evergreen Street SE, Albany OR 97322
- 2110 Geary Street SE, Albany OR 97322
- 2670 Kingston Way NW, Albany OR 97321
- Washington Street houses, block 600
2013:
- 514 NE 13th Ave.
- Santa on the rooftop view from bridge & Water Ave.
- 5th Avenue SW, block 800
- 630 Seventh Avenue SW
2012:
- 1001 Washington SW decked out again for 2014
- 1830 12th Avenue SW
- 3407 Pacific Blvd SW
- 6127 Piedmont Pl. SW
- 4295 Clay Place SE
2011
- 730 Washington SW
- 425 6th Ave SW
- 2893 E Mountain View Dr SE
- 1340 NE Mayview Dr.
Holiday Nosh Tour canceled due to inclement weather
We are very sorry to report that the Holiday Nosh Tour scheduled for Saturday, December 17th, has been canceled due to inclement weather. We want this to be a happy event, but given the reports of black ice, treacherous road conditions, and more freezing temperatures predicted for tomorrow evening, we have made the decision to cancel the tour in interest of safety.
If you have pre-paid for any Nosh Tour tickets, please contact the AVA office at 541-928-0911 and we will issue a full refund. We hope to reschedule the tour sometime in January.
Willamette Valley number one in world wine regions
Willamette Valley Wins Award for Wine Region of the Year.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine announced Oregon’s Willamette Valley as its 2016 Wine Region of the Year. The Wine Star Awards are regarded as some of the most important in the wine 
industry. Each year, the editors of Wine Enthusiast honor individuals, companies and regions that have made outstanding achievements and contributions in the wine and spirits world. The magazine will officially award the region at the Wine Star Awards gala on January 30, 2017 in Miami, FL. The Willamette Valley will also be featured in Wine Enthusiast’s December 2016 issue.
The Willamette Valley, Oregon’s leading wine region, has over two-thirds of the state’s wineries and vineyards and is home to nearly 500 wineries. It is recognized as one of the premier Pinot noir producing areas in the world. Other cool-climate varieties such as Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewürztraminer are equally at home in the Willamette Valley.
“People are already traveling from all over the world to experience great wine and breathtaking scenery,” says Jimmie Lucht, Board President of the Willamette Valley Visitors Association, a non-profit organization that supports travel and tourism in Oregon’s Wine Country. “We are thrilled that this recognition will bring the Willamette Valley to the forefront and give more attention to our wine growers, wineries and this wonderful place we call home.”
While the number of wineries continues to grow, Willamette Valley winemakers haven’t lost their personal, handcrafted approach to making wine, or their desire to do things a little differently. Many winemakers in the Willamette Valley practice sustainable winegrowing techniques based on their respect for the land and desire to see future generations continue the winemaking tradition. Nearly half of all Willamette Valley vineyards are certified sustainable, making the valley the most sustainable wine region in the world.
“Wine lovers worldwide are traveling to Oregon to experience our valley first hand and find our winegrowers as welcoming as our valley is beautiful,” says Jim Bernau, Founder of Willamette Valley Vineyards. “The Willamette Valley is indeed a Star.”
Other 2016 Wine Region nominees include Provence, France; Champagne, France; Crete, Greece; and Sonoma County, California. The Willamette Valley is also home to two other nominees recognized for their achievements in the wine industry: Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards earned a nomination for Person of the Year, and King Estate, located in the southern-most part of the Willamette Valley, was nominated for American Winery of the Year.
Willamette Valley: The Willamette Valley is 150 miles long and up to 60 miles wide making it Oregon’s largest AVA. It runs from the Columbia River in Portland south through Salem to the Calapooya Mountains outside Eugene. Named for the river that flows through it, the Willamette Valley has the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in Oregon and includes six appellations within its borders: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton.
The Willamette Valley Visitors Association is a private, non-profit organization that supports travel and tourism in the Willamette Valley – Oregon Wine Country. Comprised of six destination marketing organizations, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association works to maintain the Willamette Valley as Oregon’s premier wine destination, while highlighting the culture, heritage and natural resources of the region.
For more information, connect with the Willamette Valley Visitors Association website: oregonwinecountry.org or telephone 1-866-548-5018.
Newsletter subscription contest
Spam? No Ma’am! Our Albany Visitors Association e-newsletter is full of great ideas for visitors, new residents, and terrific events and places for family outings. We’ve got you covered, no matter the season. And, we’ll never sell your email address to anyone.
Special November Subscription contest
For e-news subscribers who sign up during the month of November, your name will be entered into a drawing for a free Holiday Nosh Tour ticket (Value $45.00) Wind your way through an Albany evening on a delicious tour of culinary delights aboard the Trolley. The Nosh Tour is scheduled for Saturday, December 17th, and we’re holding a ticket for one lucky new subscriber.
Halloween Nosh Tour Canceled
Notice: Due to conflicting events and levels of interest in the Halloween Nosh Tour, we have canceled this month’s event. If you have tickets that you paid for online, please telephone our office for a refund, or we may be able to apply the funds towards the December 17th Holiday Nosh Tour. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please stay tuned for more about the December tour.
Albany is becoming well-known for its farm-to-table eateries, delicious delis, distinctive breweries, wineries and distilleries. With Halloween fast approaching, fun-loving foodies will not want to miss Albany Visitors Association’s October “Nosh Tour.”
Slated for Saturday, October 29, 2016, the tour begins at 4:00 p.m. and guests will be treated to a surprise smorgasbord of culinary samples by local restauranteurs and vintners. It’s bound to be a deliciously good time.
The AVA Nosh Tour is a special event—participants will check in at the Albany Visitors Association and climb aboard the city’s historic trolley. They’ll meet local chefs, get the behind-the-scenes low-down on how meals are prepared, and taste incredible sample plates along the way.
Limited to 28 participants, coveted Nosh Tour tickets are available by pre-registration only, and you must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Tickets are $45 each, or $40 for two or more. This includes transportation on the trolley and all food, drink, and of course, Halloween fun!
To pre-register and reserve your space, telephone the AVA at 541-928-0911. Tickets may also be purchased online by credit or debit card on the AVA culinary tours web page at https://albanyvisitors.com/visitors/dining/culinary-tours-and-events/#Albany%20Nosh%20Tours
Spooky times aboard the Trolley of Terror
Trolley of Terror, courtesy Democrat Herald.
Back by popular demand, the Monteith Society is once again hosting two fun and spooky historical experiences this October: a candlelit tour of the Monteith House Museum followed by a ride on the Trolley of Terror; and a VIP ghost-hunting experience at the Monteith House. Both are sponsored by the Monteith Historical Society.
The Monteith House is the oldest building in Albany, and was built in 1849. Through the years, various ghost stories have been shared about this building, but very few people have had a chance to hear the stories from the inside of its walls, and even fewer have had a chance to seek out the spirits that dwell within. Please, join us for a ride on the Trolley of Terror and our candlelit tour to hear the ghost stories of downtown Albany and those of the Monteith House that have chilled its inhabitants to the bone.
The Trolley of Terror will take place on October 20, 21, 27 and 28. Tours begin at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Sign up today for the Trolley of Terror candlelit tour and ghost stories of the Monteith House. The cost of the Trolley of Terror and candlelit ghost tour is $10 per adult and $5 per child. Reservations are highly recommended as space is limited.
Our VIP ghost hunt experience will take place on October 14, 21, and 27, from 10pm-1am. Each VIP experience is limited to 10 people. VIPs will be joined by experienced paranormal investigators and learn how to use various pieces of ghost hunting equipment. VIPs will then get to help conduct a paranormal investigation of the Monteith House. The VIP experience is $40 per person. Reservations are required. This event is appropriate for adults, not young children.
Call the Albany Visitors Association at 541-928-0911 to reserve your seats today!
History Bites and Hasso Hering
How to survive information overload
By guest blogger Richard Engeman
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Richard H. Engeman (Oregon author and new-to-Albany resident) attended a free “History Bites” talk at the Albany Regional Museum. Richard kindly volunteered his time to the Albany Visitors Association as our guest blogger. The following article is his account of History Bite’s latest speaker, Hasso Hering.
“More people don’t know anything about what’s going on.” –Hasso Hering
Hasso Hering
Two or three decades ago, news came to us in two formats: in print (as a newspaper or magazine), or a broadcast over television or radio. Reporters, correspondents, and journalists worked for agencies that collected, edited, and distributed “The News.” And from what we read, and what we saw and heard, each of us weighed and analyzed the information to merge it into our understanding of the world.
Today, our understanding of the world is mediated by Facebook, which flings billions of bits of information at us. Some of that is news, but much of it is the instantaneous reaction by millions of other viewers to that news. In many instances, these snippets of news and comments correspond to other reactions: to someone’s attitude, syntax, bias, spelling, ethnicity, gender, etiquette, and a multitude of other aspects. The news itself, is drowned out.
Hasso Hering, former longtime editor of the Albany Democrat-Herald newspaper (he retired in 2012), spoke to the changes in news-gathering and news distribution at a recent, well-attended lunchtime talk at the Albany Regional Museum.
Hasso’s involvement with the news goes back a long way, and his lengthy tenure in Albany was preceded by his experience in newsrooms in California and in Ashland, Oregon. He punctuated his talk with photos and anecdotes that illustrated how much the news-reporting industry has changed in a very short period of time. Hering said that in the not-so-distant past, an editor of a small-city newspaper could approach a national figure like Walter Cronkite, and expect and receive, a prompt and cordial acknowledgement.
Hering described and lauded the work of copy editors, a now nearly defunct profession whose practitioners checked a reporter’s facts, smoothed out the phrasing, queried the quotes, and regularized spelling and capitalization. Such slogging and unglamorous work is what made print journalism reasonably accurate and trustworthy, so much so that television and radio broadcasters relied on printed sources for their own news shows (and they still do).
Hering made an excellent point about the fact that each of us, individually, must sift through the news and analyze it to find the kernels of value to us, and to integrate that information into our lives.
Another former journalist, Bob Hicks of the Oregonian, recently pushed the same point in a Facebook essay, concluding that we can’t be spoon-fed news stories, but must be “active, analytical… and honestly skeptical” with our journalistic consumption. And this is a difficult and challenging task, as Hering succinctly notes, since we are faced with a “proliferation” of news sources. We can’t catch up with all of it, we can’t be sure it is accurate, and we can’t correct misinformation. We are bombarded with news bites, and the bombardment overwhelms our ability to analyze, question, and form reasoned opinions about our world. Technology has made our task harder, not easier as we might have expected.
Hasso gave a jaunty, if sobering, lunchtime talk. However, it was a good experience for this new Albany resident, and I came away from his presentation confident that I had moved to a small but sprightly city that takes its history (and its history-makers like Hasso Hering) seriously. And like Hering, we residents do so with a wry smile.
By the way, Hasso too has gone electronic at http://hh-today.com, and he’s on Facebook, too!
Albany author Richard H. Engeman is a public historian and archivist, and the person behind Oregon Rediviva, LLC. The name Oregon Rediviva is connected to the history of the Oregon Country: Captain Robert Gray’s ship Columbia Rediviva entered the mouth of the Columbia River in 1792. In 1805, Capt. Meriwether Lewis described a plant, to which the name Lewisia rediviva has been applied. It is better known as the bitterroot, the state flower of Montana.
2016 Antiques in the Street
Shop for amazing treasures from over 50 streets vendors and at the Albany Antique Mall sidewalk sale. Then tour over 100 vintage and classic cars. When you get hungry have lunch at one of downtown Albany’s fabulous restaurants or get it fresh off the vine and visit the Farmer’s Market. All within walking distance of each other.
Proceeds from this event will go directly to, Habitat for Humanity, “Raising Roofs and Raising Hopes!”
For more information about the event, check the Albany Antique Mall website.
