OREGON’S BIRTHDAY: WHAT YOU MISSED AT 158

If you skip Oregon’s Birthday party, you’ll never know Oregon.

You read the same stories from around the country.

People matching their vibe to a location show up in Portland.

Families planning a big move, choosing between ten cities, come to Oregon because Portland checked all the right boxes.

Students enroll in colleges just far enough away from home on the other coast.

They love Oregon, you love Oregon, we all love Oregon.

But sometimes it’s hard to find a way to show it.

Oregon’s Birthday party is the right place.

Every Valentine’s Day the Oregon Historical Society rolls out the sweetest tribute a state could hope for.

Find your new state party right there on Oregon’s Birthday.

So, what did you miss?

In the top image Museum Director Kerry Tymchuk points to former Governors Kulongoski and Roberts.

Seated beside them is Antoinette Hatfield.

Each of them have lived Oregon history.

Joining them is a chance to share a history moment.

Before the governors and Mrs. Mark Hatfield were introduced, the Multnomah County Commissioners spoke to the audience about their Oregon experiences.

No one’s keeping score, but when’s the last time you were in a room with local, state, and national folks?

They all make a point of showing up. You can too. Is it too much to add to a weekday? Probably.

But if you want to know Oregon, you need Oregon’s Birthday.

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What’s a birthday without cake?

Oh, there’s cake. Delicious cake. Citrus cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake.

And what makes cake even more luxurious?

The Old Time Oregon Fiddlers’ Association Band from District 7 for starters.

There they are in the background.

The band played true to the music, old time fiddle music, and it set the tone after Margie Boule’s haunting version of Oregon, My Oregon.

In what felt like a dream sequence from the play Oregon Trail, with Ms Boule singing alone in a clear, high, voice, the audience picked up the low end.

Whether singing words, or humming along, the whole room circled the wagons settling in for another night together.

That’s a circle you want to join. And you can.

Oregon’s day is always more than a regular birthday. You’ve got a handle on those.

But if you want to know Oregon, get a handle on Oregon’s Birthday.

It’s full of Oregon history feelings for you to make your own.

Cracking the exterior of a hard city starts with a look at it’s soul.