NEWBERG, Ore. — In today’s digital age, it is easy to disregard a physical source of information within the town when there is the convenience of Yelp for restaurant reviews or Google Maps for directions to local attractions. But a local resource sits in a white building on the corner of Garfield and Hancock Streets with an A-frame sign, ready to point tourists and locals alike to the area’s wineries, restaurants, attractions, and services.
Scott Parker, executive director of the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Kaytlin Ebora, the chamber’s director of operations, operate the Newberg Visitors Center Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parker said the visitors center still operates in the traditional sense, with a brochure stand filled with maps and pamphlets covering regional attractions.
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But Parker said the space serves as both a visitors center and the chamber’s home, so it operates as more than that.
“It’s not just a one-way street,” Parker said. “For me, it’s getting the word out that we are a resource [for businesses].”
According to a report the chamber presented during the Newberg City Council’s Aug. 17, 2026, meeting, visitor origin is tracked at the door. The largest share of the 1,492 visitors counted from July 2025 to June 2026 — about 11.6% — said they were visiting from McMinnville, followed by 10.1% from Portland. The third-most common response — 6.2% of visitors — was Dallas, Texas.
Beyond serving visitors, the center offers space for local businesses, organizations, and events to promote themselves through business cards and posters. Parker encourages anyone with a local business to come by and drop off materials.
Upon arrival, guests enter the space to find a local art exhibition, a wall of business cards, and a healthy display of area travel pamphlets, all available to take, free of charge.
Beyond the physical assets, anyone walking through the doors can get recommendations for local wineries, upcoming events, or simply ask where they should get today’s lunch.
In fact, Ebora said the maps have become something of an attraction.
“One of the most surprising things as a younger person working here is we still get a ton of people coming in looking for hard copy materials,” she said.
The chamber moved to its location on Garfield Street in 2021 from its last office at 2119 E. Portland Road in Newberg. The space allows the chamber to play a larger role in the community, from hosting networking events like the weekly Greeters to community programming such as a semi-regular sourdough workshop led by a local resident.
The visitors center also hosts a rotating art gallery curated by local artist James Nelson, showcasing local artists alongside the pamphlets and materials promoting area tourism. The latest installment highlights the upcoming Art Harvest Studio Tour. The chamber is an official stop on the tour and serves as a location where Art Harvesters can purchase admittance buttons, maps, and information brochures.
“If you have a business that you’d like to drive people to, bring us your materials, your business cards, your posters, be involved.”
For more information about the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, visit https://chehalemvalley.org/.
Disclosure: Newsberg prints its weekly print newsletter at the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce offices in the Newberg Visitors Center.
