By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews
YACHATS — In a scant four months, the new head of the Yachats Chamber of Commerce is making things happen. Since Bobbi Price started her job as executive director of the chamber last fall, she can tick off these boxes:
- A new Chamber website to support local small businesses, promote membership and schedule events;
- The first of planned quarterly “mixers” to which the entire community is invited and where the new website will be unveiled;
- A handful of new and returning community events beginning in March to attract visitors in the spring and fall “shoulder” tourism seasons;
- A $15,000 grant from Lincoln County commissioners to help fund tourist-drawing fairs, festivals and events; and
- Partnerships underway with Travel Oregon and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association to increase shoreline accessibility for the disabled.
“My job is to help revitalize and build up the chamber, bringing it back to its former glory,” said Price.
Price, whose family has lived in south Lincoln County for six generations, was manager and events coordinator for the Newport Chamber of Commerce for 13 years. She coordinated Newport’s popular Wine & Seafood Festival, and is filling that role a final time this year.
So Price is urging anyone interested — not just business owners — to come out for the first Yachats chamber mixer 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday in the Pacific room of the Adobe motel .
“Community members, managers, people who work at home, people looking for networking opportunities, volunteers … everyone is welcome,” she said. “You don’t have to be a business owner to be a member of the chamber; we have membership ‘tiers’ for different levels of involvement.”
Tuesday’s event will showcase the chamber’s new website, along with planned upcoming events. Those planning to attend the mixer are asked to RSVP by emailing Price at director@yachats.org
“Ultimately, the goal is for the website to be packed full of visitor information, have a business directory, and offer workshops and support for our members,” she said.
Pandemic slowdown
Along with the rest of the world, the chamber faltered during the Covid pandemic. It lost the city contract to run the visitor center and conduct tourism marketing in 2020, but won those back last August. It had previously held the contract for 20 years.
Chamber board president Linda Hetzler lured Price from the Newport chamber last September and quickly had to jump in to help organize the Mushroom Festival in October. That event, like so many, had been cancelled during the pandemic.
In planning now is a slate of spring events and summer traditions that Price and the chamber will manage. Two weeks ago the county awarded the chamber $15,000 to help fund these and potentially other events:
- March 25-26: The original Yachats Spring Arts & Crafts Show at the Commons. This 51-year tradition also paused during the pandemic.
- April 15: “Sip ‘n Stroll Yachats,” a business-booster featuring wine, beer or cider at select shops in downtown Yachats. Either representatives of wineries or volunteers will be pouring, with advance tickets netting a souvenir glass, drinks and a map for stopping by participating businesses.
- May 20: “Bark in the Park,” a dog-friendly festival in the green space behind city hall. Plans call for live music, food, a beer garden, dog/owner lookalike competition, wiener dog races and dog agility demonstrations, along with dog-focused vendors.
- Fourth of July fireworks and the la de da parade. Both events will occur on the same day, with the chamber taking applications for parade participants, and working with volunteers on the fireworks display.
“I’d like the community to know we are really working on off-season tourism and responsible tourism,” said Price, who works out of an office in the Commons as well as at home. “We want to make sure that we are promoting Yachats in a way that reinforces a message of stewardship of the environment, and the livability of our residents.”
After Tuesday’s mixer, Price will survey attendees to “see what people are looking for” from future gatherings. Eventually, guest speakers may be brought in from various resources in Lincoln County to address topics of concern to local business operators.
- Cheryl Romano is a Yachats freelance reporter who contributes regularly to YachatsNews.com. She can be reached at Wordsell@gmail.com