Members of the Yasui family were among the millions of immigrants who came to the United States seeking new opportunities during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like many Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrants), they experienced racism and oppression; state and federal laws prevented Japanese immigrants from owning land, and anti-Japanese organizations sought to strip Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) of their birthright citizenship. Yet Nikkei (Japanese immigrants and their descendants) like the Yasui family persisted in establishing roots in Oregon, starting families and businesses, and shaping the social and economic fabric of the communities where they lived.
In 2026, the United States marks its 250th birthday with the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. What did the events of 1776 mean to the people living in the Mid-Willamette Valley? In this multi-part, multi-disciplinary exhibit, we will explore how echoes from the year 1776 continue to be heard in our community. […]
Waves of Tradition celebrates the diverse maritime traditions and scenic beauty that shaped Oregon’s South Coast in conjunction with the United States’ 250th anniversary. Highlights include local cultural connections to the shipbuilding and fishing industries as well as traditional festivals, legends, and superstitions. Event Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible venue Accessible parking Sensory-friendly accommodations Service animals welcome
Music in the Pines is La Pine’s community concert series, offering live music, local food, vendors, and relaxed summer evenings in the beautiful outdoor setting of La Pine Parks and Recreation. Featuring local bands and community-centered activities, the series gives residents and visitors a true taste of La Pine’s culture, creativity, and natural beautity — […]
Umatilla County Historical Society (UCHS) will be collecting stories from March 1 through July 4, 2026. Museum staff will attend multiple events around the county to deliver archival paper to communities who wish to participate. On June 27, Heritage Station will host “share your story,” a day set aside for those wishing to contribute their […]
2026 marks the nation’s 250th anniversary as well as the 50th anniversary of the termination of Executive Order 9066. As we reflect on these two milestones, what does democracy mean when it is denied, challenged, and ultimately restored? For the Japanese Americans featured in this exhibition, the answer was to fight injustice with action. Learn […]
Since Oregon's founding in 1859, Jews have participated in public life—building towns and holding office in the nineteenth century, advocating for civil rights, immigrant communities, and social justice in the decades that followed. Drawing from the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education’s collections, How We Show Up shares the stories of early Jewish […]
One Nation Exhibition brings together contemporary artists who explore the ideals and contradictions embedded in the American promise. Drawing on the national motto E Pluribus Unum, “Out of Many, One,” the exhibition reflects on how a diverse society strives toward unity while confronting social, political, and cultural divisions. Through painting, photography, sculpture, textile, and mixed […]
As part of America's 250 celebration, Voices of Service is a special podcast online exhibition that preserves and shares the personal stories of Oregon veterans and active-duty service members. Each recorded interview explores the motivations, experiences, sacrifices, and lessons of military service while highlighting the lasting impact these individuals have on their communities. The exhibition […]
Experience World War I through the eyes of an ordinary American soldier in Sapper: Sgt. Wayne Woodruff and the Great War, a special exhibition at the Woodburn Museum. Discover the story of combat engineer Sgt. Wayne Woodruff through personal artifacts, including his unlaundered trench coat, training manuals, and pocket Bible, offering a powerful glimpse into […]
The Oregon Supreme Court invites the public to attend free tours of its historic building every Tuesday in July from noon to 1 p.m. Learn about and view Oregon's oldest continuously operating government building, where the Oregon Supreme Court first convened on Feb. 14, 1914 — Oregon’s birthday. Located next to the Oregon State Capitol, […]
The Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo is Central Oregon’s premier summer tradition, bringing together community, culture, and western heritage for an unforgettable, multi-day celebration. The largest country fair in Oregon, it showcases the very best of the region from agriculture and livestock to arts, entertainment, and family-friendly fun for all ages. This year’s fair runs […]
Community Conversation: What Does It Mean to Be American? is presented in partnership with Oregon Humanities and community weaver Chisao Hata, this conversation will explore when and how we define ourselves as an “American.” Does knowing the Constitution make us American? Does living on land controlled by the United States of America make us American? […]
Thomas D. Keizur, the City of Keizer’s namesake, embodied the city motto of "Pride, Spirit, and Volunteerism." After his family's arrival to the Oregon Country in 1843, he quickly became involved and volunteered to make this land a good place to live and work. He participated in the country's first election, he devoted his time […]
Join the Columbia River Maritime Museum on August 7 for an educational talk exploring the origins of the U.S. Coast Guard. Before the Coast Guard, there was the Revenue Cutter Service, a federal agency created in 1790 to assist with tax collection. From its roots in 1790, a modern U.S. Coast Guard would later be […]
Music in the Pines is La Pine’s community concert series, offering live music, local food, vendors, and relaxed summer evenings in the beautiful outdoor setting of La Pine Parks and Recreation. Featuring local bands and community-centered activities, the series gives residents and visitors a true taste of La Pine’s culture, creativity, and natural beautity — […]
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center (NHOTIC), with thanks to the James and Marion Miller Foundation, will host an “Oregon Folklife Residency,” a 7-month partnership with the Oregon Folklife Network. Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, the friends organization for NHOTIC, reached out to the Oregon Folklife Network to develop a plan to bring Oregon Cultural […]
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Salute to America, a commemorative performance presented by the Dolphin Playhouse. Through a blend of spoken word and music, this nonpartisan production explores the nation’s history, ideals, and enduring spirit. Musical performances are interwoven with readings of historical writings and speeches by America’s founders and […]
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with the legendary U.S. Navy Blue Angels headlining three days of incredible aviation at the 2026 Oregon International Air Show. Marvel at the precision flying of the Blue Angels alongside the USAF F-35A Lightning II Demo Team, U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey Demo Team, and the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd […]
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Salute to America, a commemorative performance presented by the Dolphin Playhouse. Through a blend of spoken word and music, this nonpartisan production explores the nation’s history, ideals, and enduring spirit. Musical performances are interwoven with readings of historical writings and speeches by America’s founders and […]
Join us for a panel discussion with some of the people featured in Standing for Justice: The Japanese Americans Shaping Oregon exhibition, including Peggy Nagae, Mari Watanabe, Elisa Dozono, and Tiffany Koyama Lane. Learn about their lives and what inspired them to pursue careers focused around civic engagement and protection of civil rights. Hear directly […]
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Salute to America, a commemorative performance presented by the Dolphin Playhouse. Through a blend of spoken word and music, this nonpartisan production explores the nation’s history, ideals, and enduring spirit. Musical performances are interwoven with readings of historical writings and speeches by America’s founders and […]
Join the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education for a free guided tour of How We Show Up exhibition and leave inspired to show up in your community. How We Show Up narrates the need to build a better future by including morally difficult histories, such as Jewish participation in settler colonialism, silence […]
One Nation Exhibition at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education brings together contemporary artists who explore the ideals and contradictions embedded in the American promise through painting, photography, sculpture, textile, and mixed media. Join for a free guided tour that reflects on how a diverse society strives toward unity while confronting social, […]
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Salute to America, a commemorative performance presented by the Dolphin Playhouse. Through a blend of spoken word and music, this nonpartisan production explores the nation’s history, ideals, and enduring spirit. Musical performances are interwoven with readings of historical writings and speeches by America’s founders and […]
Join us for the 1st annual Archaeology Roadshow in Southern Oregon on Thursday, August 20. Immerse yourself in the heritage of our region while engaging with archaeologists and heritage specialists representing universities, tribes, federal and state agencies, companies, and nonprofit organizations. The Roadshow is partnering with Southern Oregon Laboratory of Archaeology and The Southern Oregon […]
Music in the Pines is La Pine’s community concert series, offering live music, local food, vendors, and relaxed summer evenings in the beautiful outdoor setting of La Pine Parks and Recreation. Featuring local bands and community-centered activities, the series gives residents and visitors a true taste of La Pine’s culture, creativity, and natural beautity — […]
Originally a commemoration of the city’s harvest, Woodburn’s Fiesta Mexicana began in 1963 as an expression of gratitude to the community’s farmworkers. The festival continues as a celebration of the wide variety of Mexican heritage claimed by local residents. Today, it attracts more than 30,000 visitors and features authentic Mexican cuisine, artisan vendors, informational booths […]
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Salute to America, a commemorative performance presented by the Dolphin Playhouse. Through a blend of spoken word and music, this nonpartisan production explores the nation’s history, ideals, and enduring spirit. Musical performances are interwoven with readings of historical writings and speeches by America’s founders and […]
The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program (OCF&R) is a statewide recognition program honoring farmers and ranchers who have worked the same land for at least 100 years. Since the start of the program in 1958, over 1,300 farms and ranches across the state have been registered. Oregon has one of the oldest agricultural heritage […]
Kintsukuroi, a new historical drama from director Kerwin Berk, follows members of the Ito family from their pre-war life in San Francisco’s Japantown to the concentration camps of the American West to the battlefields of Europe as they endure one of the most shameful periods in American history. kintsukuroi 1. Japanese art of repairing broken […]
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Salute to America, a commemorative performance presented by the Dolphin Playhouse. Through a blend of spoken word and music, this nonpartisan production explores the nation’s history, ideals, and enduring spirit. Musical performances are interwoven with readings of historical writings and speeches by America’s founders and […]
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Salute to America, a commemorative performance presented by the Dolphin Playhouse. Through a blend of spoken word and music, this nonpartisan production explores the nation’s history, ideals, and enduring spirit. Musical performances are interwoven with readings of historical writings and speeches by America’s founders and […]
Join the Columbia River Maritime Museum on August 25 for an illustrated talk by author Will Sofrin on USCG Cutter Eagle and the legacy of the Coast Guard’s flagship. Sofrin traces Eagle’s origins in Nazi Germany, its postwar transfer to the United States, and its enduring role as America’s sail training ship. Drawing on archival […]
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at Airshow of the Cascades in Madras, Oregon, where aviation history, community, and patriotism come together beneath the Central Oregon sky. This family-friendly event features world-class aerobatic performances, historic World War II aircraft from the Erickson Aircraft Collection, military and civilian aviation displays, interactive exhibits, food vendors, and activities for all […]
Harvest Fest is the Yamhill County History Museum's annual celebration of the people, traditions, and innovations that shaped Oregon's agricultural communities. Visitors of all ages can experience living history through historic machinery demonstrations, traditional skills, music, exhibits, hands-on activities, local artisans, and family-friendly experiences. Hosted on the museum's historic campus, the event connects past and […]
Join the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education for a free guided tour of How We Show Up exhibition and leave inspired to show up in your community. How We Show Up narrates the need to build a better future by including morally difficult histories, such as Jewish participation in settler colonialism, silence […]
Join the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education for a free guided tour of the One Nation Exhibition that reflects on how a diverse society strives toward unity while confronting social, political, and cultural divisions. The exhibition repeatedly returns to the idea of E Pluribus Unum, meaning “Out of many, one.” Nothing is […]
