115th annual Florence Rhododendron Festival
115th ANNUAL FLORENCE RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL IS BACK IN BLOOM
Great pageantry, civic pride, fabulous flowers, and festival fun will mark the 115th annual Florence Rhododendron Festival May 18 to 22, 2022. ?Rhody Fest? is Oregon?s second-longest-running floral festival.
Florence Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Bettina Hannigan says with the two-year absence a lot of people are excited to get out and have a party. This year?s festival gets underway Thursday, May 19, at noon with the Davis Shows Carnival at the Port of Siuslaw boardwalk and the 6:30 p.m. coronation of Queen Rhododendra and the King of the Coast at the Florence Events Center
The long weekend also features the annual Rhododendron Society Rhody Show, daily carnival games and rides, the 5K and 10K Rhody Run/Walk; the Rods N Rhodies Classic Car Show and Shine; the Maple Street vendor fair in Old Town, a quilt show, junior parade, Pinewood Derby, and Sunday?s grand floral parade at noon on Sunday, May 22. Complete festival information can be found on Events tab of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce?s website FlorenceChamber.com.
The highlight will be the grand floral parade at noon on May 22. It begins at 27th St. and Highway 101 and travels about three miles to and through Historic Old Town Florence. This year?s grand marshals are the Siuslaw Vikings state champion 3A football team and girl's and boy's state champion cross country teams.
Hannigan says this year?s festival theme, ?Back In Bloom? highlights the return after a partial two-year hiatus. ?This town is ready to celebrate. Rhody Fest is the semi-official start to our tourism season. Tourism employs about 1900 of the 4600 workers in Florence and pumps around $119 million into the local economy. With all this fun, and everything else there is to do in and around Florence, it?s no wonder why we are known as Oregon?s Coastal Playground.?
Thursday, May 19
Davis Shows Carnival
Port of Siuslaw Parking Lot
Noon- 11:00 p.m.
Tickets: FlorenceChamber.com/Events, Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center 290 Highway 101, or on site.
Coronation of Queen Rhododendra and King of the Coast
6:30 p.m. Florence Events Center (Admission fee)
Friday, May 20
Old Town Vendor Faire
Maple Street between Bay and First Sts
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Davis Shows Carnival
Port of Siuslaw Parking Lot
Noon- 11:00 p.m.
Rhododendron Quilt Guild?s Quilt Show
Old School Furniture, Hwy 101 at 6th St.
10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Live Music featuring ?Ruckus? (classic rock)
Blue Bills at Three Rivers Casino
8:00 p.m. to midnight
Saturday, May 21
Rhody Run?5K & 10K Run/Walk
Florence Events Center
7:30 a.m. registration, 9:00 a.m. race
Pinewood Derby
Siuslaw Middle School
9:00 a.m. registration, 11:00 p.m. races begin
28th annual Rhody Days Classic Car Show & Shine
Siuslaw Middle School
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Details: RodsNRhodies.org
Junior Parade
Miller Park
Staging 11:00 a.m., parade begins at Noon
Sponsored by Siuslaw Fire & Rescue
Kiwanis Kids Games
Siuslaw High School Athletic Fields
Following the Junior Parade
10th Annual Rhody Days Arts Festival
Florence Events Center
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Annual Rhododendron Show & Sale
Florence Events Center
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Siuslaw Chapter American Rhododendron Society
Rhododendron Quilt Guild?s Quilt Show
Old School Furniture, Hwy 101 at 6th St.
10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Elks? Chicken Barbeque
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Elks? Lodge 1858, 1686 12th St
Open to the Public
Old Town Vendor Faire
Maple Street between Bay and First Sts
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Davis Shows Carnival
Port of Siuslaw Parking Lot
Noon- 11:00 p.m.
Craft Distillery Tastings
Noon to 4:00 p.m.
Homegrown Public House, 294 Laurel St
Thinking Tree Spirits of Eugene
Blessing of the Motorcycles
1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
First Baptist Church, 1935 25th St.
Pastor Ron Allen, presiding
Rhody Mosey
Registration 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Bays St. at Kingwood, next to Veterans? Park
Mosey-ers will strut their stuff down Bay St.
Prizes awarded for best costumes, sassiest strutter, and judges? choices
FlorenceHabitat.org/events
Live Music featuring ?Ruckus? (classic rock)
Blue Bills at Three Rivers Casino
8:00 p.m. to midnight
Sunday, May 22
Rhody Parade Day Public Breakfast
Elks? Lodge 1858, 1686 12th St
7:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Open to the Public
Annual Rhododendron Show & Sale
Florence Events Center
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Siuslaw Chapter American Rhododendron Society
Old Town Vendor Faire
Maple Street between Bay and First Sts.
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
10th Annual Rhody Days Arts Festival
Florence Events Center
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Grand Floral Parade
From Highway 101 at 30th south to Old Town via Kingwood to Bay St.
Begins at noon
Local broadcast on KCST 106.9 FM at 11:45
Davis Shows Carnival
Port of Siuslaw Parking Lot
Noon- 11:00 p.m.
For more information on Rhododendron Festival Events, visit FloreneChamber.com/Events or EventCenter.org/Calendar
Date and Time
Thursday May 18, 2023
May 19-22, 2022--Held annually on the third full weekend of May, every year, for 115 years and counting!
Location
All around town in Florence, Oregon. Oregon's Coastal Playground!
Fees/Admission
Carnival passes: $35
Save $5 by buying passes at the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce's Visitor Center office, 290 Highway 101, until 3:00 p.m. on May 15. Passes will be $35 at the entry gate to the carnival on May 15.
Contact Information
Mitzi Hathaway, event coordinator/tourism development director
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