The Salem area really bursts to life in August. The skies are blue, the days are long and the theme parks, farms, children’s museum and ice cream shops are filled with families enjoying everything the region has to offer. Want to hike through an old-growth forest to a waterfall or watch your kids bounce around on a wall-to-wall trampoline? Maybe your kiddos want to pet friendly goats, visit the Seven Dwarves house or shoot down a lighthouse slide into a pool. No matter what your crew is into, the Salem area delivers big on family fun. Here’s a sample four-day itinerary that’s sure to make lasting family memories. Start planning your August getaway today.
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Blueberries, raspberries, loganberries, blackberries and Marion County’s own marionberries — oh, my! July is peak berry season in the Willamette Valley and the Salem area’s local markets and U-pick farms are bursting with juicy berries and fresh berry treats. Whether you want to browse the heaping pints at a farmers market, go berry-picking with the kiddos or enjoy a slice of fresh-baked marionberry pie or a blackberry milkshake, here’s how to have a berry-licious summer in the Salem area.
Salem knows how to celebrate summer. The sparkling sunshine and shady forests are the perfect setting for the area’s many outdoor music and art festivals, small-town rodeos, Fourth of July parades, colorful powwows and, of course, the iconic Oregon State Fair. Want to enjoy these amazing events — and everything else the region has to offer — at your own pace? Start planning your multi-day trip here and get ready to have the best summer ever.
Time Magazine has touted the Willamette Valley as one of the world’s top spots to go wine tasting. If wine is your thing, you definitely want to spend a couple of days (or more) uncorking and unwinding in our region’s renowned wineries and tasting rooms. We’ve rounded up four top-notch tasting itineraries to get you started here. Book a stay at a cozy bed and breakfast, modern hotel or resort in the area and then raise your glass, savor chef-prepared bites and explore our friendly wine-country towns. May is also Oregon Wine Month and many wineries have special events. Check individual websites for all the juicy details.
Lemon-yellow peonies, fragrant fawn lilies and native trillium — oh, my! April is National Garden Month and the Salem region is home to almost 20 public display and botanical gardens bursting with a dizzying array of flowers in all colors, shapes and scents. Some gardens even offer wine tastings, kid’s events and hot-air balloon rides. If you’re visiting later in summer — or in fall and winter — you can still catch plenty of perennial Pacific Northwest blooms. Here’s a roundup of local gardens that will inspire your senses, in order of their blooms’ appearances.
What does it mean when we say Salem is MOPO? It means that Salem, home to the landmark Oregon State Capitol, and the surrounding small towns in the verdant Willamette Valley are the quintessential Oregon experience. The Salem area has it all — a diverse history and Tribal heritage, award-winning wineries, craft breweries, towering waterfalls and old-growth forests, generational farms, public gardens, and a buzzy arts scene. Here’s a sampling of why the region checks all the boxes — and is undoubtedly the Most Oregon Part of Oregon.
Fancy a fresh pint of handcrafted Pacific Northwest beer? February is Oregon Craft Beer Month and the perfect time to visit the Salem area’s small craft breweries and take your taste buds on a journey around the region — and the world. From hyper-local pilsners and beer made by monks to cask-conditioned English stouts and special offerings related to Zwickelmania — the state-wide craft brew celebration — here’s a sampling of some of the local breweries pouring it on this month.
Forget about staying in, Salem and the surrounding area have a thriving nightlife scene. Whether you want to belly up to a saloon-style bar for a hand-pressed bacon burger and flight of whiskey, catch a live jazz or comedy show, high-score on Star Wars pinball, or try a friendly game of axe-throwing with your pals — these buzzy nightspots keep the good times rolling after the sun goes down.
CHECK OUT THESE ICONIC HOLIDAY TRADITIONS IN THE SALEM AREA
‘Tis the season and the Salem region is feeling the spirit, big time. Whether you want to hike among towering Douglas firs in search of locally made ornaments, peruse a bustling Christmas market while the kids go snowless tubing, or cozy up next to a fire with a glass of pinot at an award-winning vineyard, these classic winter activities will have you eating, drinking, and feeling merry.
DISCOVER THE SALEM AREA’S RICH & THRIVING PERFORMING ARTS SCENE
Theater and music lovers rejoice: In the Salem region, you’re never far from the arts, whether it’s a landmark theater, a historic schoolhouse converted into a community theater, an intimate music venue, or a college campus with a thriving performing arts scene. Our local communities go all in for the arts, offering visitors a diverse selection of live performances. Check out this rundown of amazing local venues and then catch a show that you’ll remember forever.
The Salem region’s deep agricultural roots — and accolades — are on full display every October, when family farms open their patches and orchards to the public for activity-packed harvest festivals that are a blast for the whole family. Get lost with the kiddos inside a six-acre corn maze, pick Honeycrisp apples and carving pumpkins, play corn hole, or just kick back with a hard cider and listen to live music. Check out these amazing harvest festivals and enjoy a full day of old-fashioned farm fun.
The Mid-Willamette Valley is a hiker’s paradise year-round, but fall is particularly spectacular. Late September through November, bigleaf maple and Oregon ash trees turn golden and drop their leaves onto the trails, and dusky Canada goose and other migratory birds start arriving for the winter. Regardless when you’re planning to visit — or if you’d like your hike backdropped by the Willamette River, Roosevelt elk, gushing waterfalls, or old-growth forests — there’s a trail near Salem calling your name. Some trails are accessible to people with mobility issues; check links for details.
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