This is an annual festival in McMinnville. 2014 was the 15th annual -- even though the UFO siting…read morethat eventually gave rise to the whole shebang was decades earlier. And it does bring out that wry smile people get when a UFO is the topic on the table.... Remember Annie Pott's line from "Ghostbusters" -- as the secretary who answers the phone, "Yes they're serious," ??? Well, yes -- they are. Yes, people (and animals) show up in some wonderful costumes and punchy t-shirts. Yes, there are experts in the field on hand for some lively discussion. It was one of those experts broadcasting live from the lounge in the Hotel Oregon main floor we stumbled into on the night before the official festivities began -- plus some scruffy guys in "Keep Portland Paranormal"-wear. I'm guessing lots of beer gets consumed in this weekend. Which makes sense -- McMenamin's Hotel Oregon is the hub of all things UFO-Festival-ish. And it's McMenamin's sponsoring. We were only there for the first day -- which is a shame as so much of the "good stuff" was scheduled for Saturday -- next year we'll do the Saturday thing instead of the Friday thing. We picked up a pint glass to send to my son -- decorated with a flying saucer hovering above the Rooftop Bar of the Hotel Oregon. Got to see more stuffed alien toys than I've ever seen in one place before. Saw a guy walking his cat on a leash. I like the seriousness wedded to the tongues planted firmly in cheeks that is encouraged in McMinnville. It's a different kind of festival -- with a little ComiCon blended into the kinda-sorta academic research-y-ness of panel discussions and lecture. I like it. It's just exactly what it claims to be. Food, parades, bars, movies, food accompanying group discussion, family, ufo-tourism, expensive food, niche-fanaticism, costumes and makeup, theme-food -- and lots to look at walking down the street. And good food.

Poor rating due exclusively because of a hugely disappointing Friday night presentation spoiled by…read moreone speaker, Jeremy Corbell. There were 3 speakers, one of whom was highly respected George Knapp, no problem with him or Dylan Borland, a whistleblower. But Corbell monopolized the conversation, overrode the other two constantly and it was painful to listen to. He spoke in circles, was repetitive, and gave us a steady barrage of acronyms, nothing at all noteworthy. A lot of bluster, F bombs and zero meaningful details about UAPs or ET. One hour in, bored people began to leave, after that a mass exodus. The director of the festival hopefully will take note of that.

If micro brews and BBQ is what you want, then this is the place in September. Three days and…read moreeves of fun. The music is fairly good, but really loud, and they take a lot of breaks. I think they should screen the bands before the event. wine is alo available, but it's cash or credit.

I've gone every year since this started. To me and others I have talked to, the quality is on a…read moredecline. First off, the beers. The beers and cider that they serve are your run of the mill brews that you can find at any grocery store, with just a few local breweries on tap. Oregon has so many wonderful microbreweries, those need to be the focus. Not Sam Adams and Angry Orchard. And $3 for 5oz, just save your money. Not worth it. And the food. It's a Brews and BBQS. Of the 6 food vendors, only 2 were BBQ. The rest were the typical fair food. Fried food and beer don't mix well! My first year I went, there were maybe 5 or 6 BBQ vendors. I don't know if I'll give this another chance next year. We regularly go to the local growler tap station in town so this event was a flop.

Essentially a donation to a Catholic school for bringing together vendors ($28 got you a tasting…read moreworth $1-2 and a wine glass worth ~$10). Good wine and food, tons of people (so if crowds give you anxiety, watch out!). Needs more tables too.

Amity is an absolutely horrible place to live, with nothing whatsoever worth visiting. It is poorly…read moremanaged by Michael and his sidekick Natasha, who are completely incompetent and lack both integrity and ethics. It's certainly not a place you would want to raise your children. The one thing you can be sure of is that your water rates will be astronomical and your property values with plummet. Amity is a complete shit hole.

went for "mcminnville's" 4th of july fireworks event taking place in Amity. excellent people…read more HORRIBLE fireworks show. 1 star fireworks (13 minutes of BLAH) and 5 star environment. won't be back. and that's a shame. beautiful location for a festival, at their high school (football field). mountains in background......amazing.

I was staying in Newport on the coast, and I drove an hour and a half just to see the museum. It…read morewas definitely worth the time, and the price. This is an absolutely amazing museum. The complex Covers four buildings. Two of them are for the museum, one of the buildings holds a giant screen movie theater that screens, some amazing aviation related movies, and the fourth building is an indoor waterpark, complete with a retired 747 parked on the roof. The emergency exits to the 747 are entrances to the waterslides. The primary building, where the spruce goose is located, covers aircraft from a replica of the original Wright Brothers flyer, to modern military aircraft. The secondary building, is the space, museum. It has aircraft such as the SR 71 blackbird, a model of the Apollo, lunar lander, and other space related exhibits. You can easily spend hours here. Admission is reasonable, and they offer discounts for military/veterans, seniors, youth, and local residents. Annual memberships are also available. To see the Spruce goose I highly recommend the flight deck tour. It's $25 on top of the museum admission, not cheap, but without it, all you really see is the entranceway of the plane. I took the tour, it was a 45 minute tour, it goes through the entire plane, and the docent talked about the whole history of the plane, it's different components, etc..... It was originally a prototype for a massive cargo plane, but because it was not completed by the end of WWII, there were no others made. It only flew one time, and there was a really cool recording of a reporter who was actually on the plane for that flight. It's definitely worth the visit.

I've wanted to see the Evergreen Aviation Museum since moving to Oregon. I remember the dome for…read morethe Spruce Goose in Long Beach in the late 70's but couldn't remember if I saw the place. The museum grounds is massive and there are 3 buildings that house all the museum displays. Besides the Spruce Goose, the museum has a large number of aircraft including the F-117 Nighthawk, A-10 Warthog, SR-71 Black Bird, F-86 Sabre, the Titan Launch Control room and so many other exhibits. There are many tours, movies and a flight simulator. Tip: Plan your visit with the Evergreen Aviation Museum website using the site map and digital guide. Wear comfy shoes. There is a lot of walking. There are tours given by volunteer docents, veterans or aerospace professionals. Many of the docents are around the museum and will give you interesting information about the exhibits in their area of expertise. Jerry was our guide to the Spruce Goose. He was a wealth of knowledge and made the tour very memorable. The entry is $24 for adults, $21 for seniors, Youth $14 and children under 5 are free. Tours are available for $25 per person. Tip: Individual membership is $85 and you can bring 1 guest which entitles you to a free tour of the Spruce Goose which is cheaper than the individual prices, plus, member pricing, events, a newsletter, plus discounts or free entry into other museums, aquariums and other places in Oregon.

This is a great event benefiting McMinnville Kids on the Block. Black Tie Formal, usually themed,…read more with live dance band, catered food, and donations by local businesses to bid on in silent auction or by rafel tickets. It is a great event for the McMinnville area you meet great people and reacquaint with ole' (not necessarily old) friends. I would highly recommend this yearly event. Pictures to follow soon.

Unbelievable! The length and breath of wines surpasses any wine fest I've attended. Magnums of…read moreRieslings, '77 port and more Burgundys than you can shake a stick at. Winemakers are everywhere so the access is incredible. Opportunities to blend wine and learn from experts in numerous fashions. The volunteers do a fantastic job and the organization and leadership are top-notch. Sommeliers pouring all the wines is terrific too. It ain't the cheapest gathering you'll find, but the comeraderie and friendships you form make it Amazing!

Considered to be a world-class event the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) each year at…read moreand for Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon is a must do happening. The INPC really has two parts; the three-day event takes place on the last full weekend in July. The "Passport" to Pinot event, a pocket-sized version of the full weekend Celebration, takes place on the last Sunday afternoon in July. I've always done the "Passport" event but am told the three day event is just outstanding. Food and Pinot loves will find the "Passport" tasting as one of the most enjoyable wine weekends in existence. With over 60 of the world's premier Pinot noir producers and 50 outstanding Northwest chefs this event is a taste bud rapture. Guest speakers like Jancis Robinson, and famed winemaker François Millet of Burgundy's historic Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé make this more than just a "Sideways" happening! Set on the grounds of Linfield College under a wonder grove a shade trees the "Passport" is a day for friends, food and great wine.

We had such an amazing experience with Dragon Theater Productions! Shout out to Jason for being so…read morepatient with me after all my follow-ups and delays--even without a deposit, he still showed up with his incredible team and made everything come together. Spider-Man was an absolute blast! Despite the expanded suit and the toasty weather on Sunday, he gave his all and truly impressed everyone. Multiple parents even said he was the best Spider-Man they've ever seen. Huge shout out to him for the energy and dedication he brought! I also want to apologize because I forgot the name of the lovely young lady who came to do the face painting, but she was amazing! She commanded the children's attention with ease, and her designs were not only adorable but also unique. The kids loved her, and the parents couldn't stop talking about how talented she was. Thank you again for making my boy's wish come true. I'm definitely booking Spider-Man for his birthday! The prices are the prices and honestly, I'd pay more if I could because the experience was priceless. Forever grateful!

We had Spider-Man come out to our 4 year old's birthday and it was great! The character was very…read moreengaging and had the kids dancing in no time! Would highly recommend

Another awesome experience at Terra Vina. We enjoyed every red wine that we tasted, and purchased…read moreseveral bottles to take home. We loved sitting outside, and our server was excellent. If you desire something other than Pinot noir, this is the place to go.

Karl is an amazing winemaker!!! I love his reds & the blends he puts together!!! Truly…read moreexceptional!!!