Newberg Old Fashioned Festival Calls for Planning Volunteers
The Newberg Old Fashioned Festival (NOFF) seeks volunteers to help plan and promote this year’s festival.
“It’s a great, low pressure environment,” said 2024 NOFF President Bob Woodruff. “If someone is looking to hone some skills, this is a great way to do it.”
The NOFF has the following volunteer opportunities open:
- Secretary: Take minutes during meetings and distribute to keep all volunteers informed about Festival planning.
- Visitor Engagement/Entertainment Coordination: The Festival has three performance stages, Main / Cultural / Fireworks. We are always looking for creative ways to use these stages. We also seek fun and engaging ways to attract more visitors and help extend the time they stay at the Festival. This gives the visitor a richer experience while also benefiting vendors and sponsors.
- Social Media/Marketing: Much of the funding for the Festival comes from sponsorships from our local businesses. It is important that we return that support by giving those businesses the best value for their generous support. Social Media also provides a way to deepen the sense of community that residents and visitors get from the Festival.
- Treasurer: Assisting with keeping accurate records. Our current Treasurer is still serving, but after several years is looking to work with someone to take on this duty. Keeping accurate records of our finances is some of the most important behind the scenes work that the Festival needs.
- Assisting with Fireworks: Our fireworks display draws some of the biggest crowds to the festival. Another area with a long term volunteer leader. This is a great opportunity to learn both the planning and execution side of one of Newberg’s signature events.
Volunteers meet the second Monday of each month. If you are interested in volunteering with the NOFF, contact Woodruff via email (noff.president@gmail.com) or phone (503-332-2642).
The NOFF is one of the state’s oldest festivals, starting in the early 1920s as the “Berrian Festival”. The fest runs four days over the last weekend in July with a carnival, parade, fireworks, live music, and more. Learn more at the NOFF website.
Support Local Journalism
Stories like this are only possible with support from readers like you! Your contributions go to enabling free, engaging, informative community journalism and the most comprehensive events calendar in the Newberg-Dundee area.
Koptios Cocina Debuts New Menu, Opens Food Truck at Future Location
While they work on outfitting and permitting the former See See Motor Coffee building on the corner of E. 1st and Main Streets, Kopitos Cocina parked their yellow food truck in the parking lot of the building to start serving the Newberg community.
Diners can enjoy the food on site at picnic tables (weather permitting), or take the food to go.
The Kopitos Cocina food cart is open from Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Follow Kopitos on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
Travel Oregon Seeks Resident Input
Travel Oregon, the marketing agency responsible for bringing tourism to the state, wants to know what residents think about tourism. The anonymous survey aims to encourage responsible travel practices and could shape the future of tourism in communities around the state, according to a press release from Travel Oregon.
The survey closes February 1, 2024. Participants will be entered to win up to $1,000 in Amazon gift cards.
Newberg Wendesday Market Vendor Applications open
Applications to become a vendor at the Newberg Wednesday Market are open from now until spots are filled.
If you are interested in becoming a Wednesday Market Vendor:
- Please review the Newberg Wednesday Market vendor guidelines
- Contact the Market Manager with any questions you still have.
- Submit your application and application payment online ($20)
The Newberg Wednesday Market is an annual spring to autumn market that brings local makers, farmers, and artists together every Wednesday in downtown Newberg. The market runs from May 1 through September 25 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the corner of 2nd and College Streets in Newberg.
Newberg ADA Curb Ramp Project Design Phase Begins
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced a project rebuilding or installing 408 curb ramps in Newberg to current American Disability Act (ADA) accessibility standards, according to a press release from the state agency.
“Curb ramps provide access between the sidewalk and road for people using wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, hand carts, bicycles and also for pedestrians who have trouble stepping up and down high curbs,” according to the release. “We’re adding textured plates at the curb ramps, called truncated domes. These allow pedestrians to feel, see and hear where the crossing is located and the direction they should go to safely cross the street.”
ODOT survey crews will canvas areas around Newberg along the city’s highways (OR 18, OR 240, OR 219, OR 99W) to review the existing infrastructure, and recommend improvements and level of effort if needed.
The design phase is slated to take place through 2024. Construction is slated to begin in 2026.
City of Newberg Announces Funding for Affordable Housing
According to a press release, the City of Newberg announced they have up to $461,107 available for affordable housing projects and programs in Newberg.
“This is a unique and exciting opportunity for affordable housing projects in Newberg because the funding comes from two different sources that can provide help to a broader set of affordable housing projects,” said Interim Community Development Director Clay Downing.
Following recent direction from Newberg’s City Council, the city released two Notices of Funding Availability, also referred to as a NOFA, for the city’s Construction Excise Tax Fund and the Newberg Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
According to the NOFA documents, funds will be available to non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, and individuals that provide affordable housing or related services within Newberg.
Of the funds, $397,050 will be available form the city’s Construction Excise Tax Fund, which will award funding to projects that provide developer incentives or affordable housing programs. $64,057 in loans and grants will be available from the Newberg Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which is intended to assist with the creation and/or acquisition of new affordable housing or the maintenance of the existing affordable housing inventory, according to the release.
For Construction Excise Tax Fund applications, applications will be due to the city by April 4, 2024, and only one funding window will be offered at this time.
For Newberg Affordable Housing Trust Fund applications, the first round of applications will be due on March 13, 2024, for the portion of funding that is time sensitive. However, other portions of the Newberg Affordable Housing Trust Fund monies will remain available for consideration while funds remain.
Learn more and access application materials at the City of Newberg website. Learn about the Newberg Affordable Housing Commission.
Get These Stories First, Right in your Inbox
We send out a FREE weekly newsletter featuring the previous week’s biggest stories, upcoming events, and other local happenings. Our email newsletter is the first to know!
