Ashland Together

A Rose That Grew From Concrete
2024-04-26 15:30 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Black Box Theatre, University Way, Ashland, OR
A Rose That Grew From Concrete features a talented children’s acting troupe headed by actress and director Shanique Scott.
Back in January, she brought 14 talented youths together for a three month creative journey.
Starting with an original concept, followed by writing, set design and some really unique collaborations with veterans in the world of theatre, their hard work has paid off.
Friday, April 26th
3:30-4:30 pm
Black Box Theatre
Oregon Center for the Arts
University Way, Ashland
(Map provided HERE)
Learn More
Shanique Scott received her MFA at Arizona State University. She’s has performed in both New York City and the San Francisco area. She has won several awards, including the ASU Best Actress Award for 2012. She has taught performance at the college level and has been a teaching artist with youth all over the country for over 17 years. What her students learn goes beyond acting. They walk away with a deeper understanding of collaboration and how to show up in the world as a fellow human being.

Oregon’s First Black Community: Jackson County, 1850–1900
2024-04-26 19:00 - 20:00 | 812 S. Riverside Ave., Medford, OR
Presented by Zachary Stocks
Free and open to the public
Friday, April 26, 2024
7PM – 8PM
The Backyard Community Food Cart
812 S. Riverside Ave.
Medford, Oregon 97501

The earliest sustained community of African Americans in Oregon was not in Salem or Portland, but in Jacksonville. At the time of statehood, Jackson County’s Black population was more than that of Multnomah and Marion counties combined. Zachary Stocks of Oregon Black Pioneers will share information about the rise and fall of this first Black community in Oregon, and discuss some of Southern Oregon’s nineteenth-century Black residents.

This program is offered as the keynote lecture for the 46th annual meeting of the Jefferson Historical Group, which is composed of archeologists, historians, museum and library professionals, students, and other stakeholders from northern California and southern Oregon. The group meets each year to share ideas and information from across the “Mythical State of Jefferson” and is not affiliated with the modern political movement of the same name.
Learn More

Zachary Stocks is a public historian, interpreter, and the Executive Director of Oregon Black Pioneers. Stocks previously served as Program Director of Historical Seaport and Visitor Services Manager of Northwest African American Museum. He is a former intern of Colonial Williamsburg and Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and a former seasonal Park Ranger at Lewis & Clark National Historical Park. He holds a BA in History from the College of William & Mary with a certificate in Public History from the National Institute for American History and Democracy and an MA in Museology from the University of Washington. Stocks lives in Astoria.

Base Night at OSF
2024-05-09 20:00 - 21:30 | Thomas Theater, Pioneer St., Ashland, 97520
Join us one week from tonight for
BASE Night at OSF
Thursday, May 9th at 8:00 pm
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Thomas Theater
Currently, there are 25 tickets left for this show.
Click HERE to purchase yours directly
from the OSF box office.
The evening will include a talk back
with Rodney Gardiner
BASE –Black Alliance and Social Empowerment
One Black man’s reckoning with legacy and religion
In this one-man comedy, Rodney Gardiner tries to abandon God despite his deeply Christian roots. For this undocumented Black boy growing up in tumultuous 1980s Miami, racial unrest, an immigration crisis, and the drug war is just another Tuesday. Smote This is an entertaining web of stories and tangents, and OSF is delighted to welcome back Rodney Gardiner, who has thrilled our audiences for years in everything from musicals to Shakespeare.
‘Smote This’ Tells a Seriously Funny Story
He hopes audiences walk away from the show laughing
“and cherishing the gift of life just a bit more.”
Ashland.News

What it Means to Belong​
2024-05-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
The Ashland Sunrise Project is excited to announce, “What it means to Belong,” the second presentation in its speaker series. upcoming event “ This event will take place on May 27, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Carpenter Hall, 44 S. Pioneer, Ashland.
“What it Means to Belong,” is a conversation among community activist Cassie Preskenis, local artist Micah Blacklight, Taylor Stewart, founder of the Oregon Remembrance Project (ORP), and Tara Houston, Community and Engagement Manager, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF).
Blacklight and Preskenis are members of the Say Their Names collective, which is working to erect a sculpture in Ashland to honor the lives of people of color killed by systemic injustices. Blacklight and Preskenis will share the vision for their monument, the importance of Black art, and ways community members can support the expansion of Black identity in Ashland.
Preskenis will present her short video “Say Their Names,” which includes interviews with people of color in our community.
Monday, May 27 | 6:30 –8:00 PM
OSF Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer St, Ashland
This program was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this event, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Juneteenth
2024-06-15 11:00 - 19:00 | Pear Blossom Park, 212 N Bartlett St, Medford, OR, 97501
Celebrate Freedom: Live Bands, DJ, Vendors, Kids Zone, and more…
June 15, 2024
Saturday 11 AM – 7 PM
Pear Blossom Park, 312 E. 4th Street, Medford, OR
More Info

Uncovering Difficult Truths
2024-07-08 18:30 - 20:00 | Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
Ashland Sunrise Project presents a conversation with Oregon author Sarah L. Sanderson, Taylor Stewart, founder of the Oregon Remembrance Project, and host Tara Houston, Community and Engagement Manager, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF).
Sara Sanderson, author of The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate, will share her own story of discovering that her ancestors participated in exiling Jacob Vanderpool from Oregon City in 1851 under the exclusion laws that prevented Black people from residing in Oregon. Taylor and Sara will explore what we might gain from uncovering difficult truths, including difficult truths about what has happened in the past and how we might transform those challenges into opportunities for a new kind of future.
There will be an opportunity to buy a copy of Sarah Sanderson’s book at the event, or in advance from Bloomsbury Books.
This program was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this event, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

An Empowering Conversation About Fire, Climate Change and Community.
2024-07-15 18:30 - 20:00 | Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
Monday, July 15th, 6:30 to 8:00 pm PT, Carpenter Hall (at OSF)
Special Guests:

Marko Bey – Founder & Executive Director Lomakatsi Restoration Project
Belinda Brown – Tribal Partnerships Director
Collaborative Forest Restoration: A Win-Win for People and Nature
In the face of climate change and the new reality of wildfire in the West, collaborative, community-based forest restoration is a proven solution to help protect communities and natural resources. Lomakatsi will share their model for leveraging federal and state agreements with local partnerships to build long-term, landscape-scale forest and watershed stewardship projects. These agreements can bring millions of federal dollars to help create fire-adapted ecosystems and communities, while supporting sustainable jobs and local economies. This hands-on stewardship approach enhances wildlife habitat and helps prepare the landscape for beneficial fire.
Elevating Tribal Nations in Restoration Initiatives
Lomakatsi will discuss the importance of meaningful engagement with Tribal Nations and tribal communities, and how ecological restoration—combined with indigenous fire knowledge—can help promote tribal sovereignty, support co-management, and protect cultural beneficial resources.
The presentation will include the screening of the 20-minute short film Tribal Hands on the Land, centered on Lomakatsi’s Tribal Youth Ecological Forestry Training Program. The film explores how collaboration with tribes and tribal communities is setting the stage for the return of cultural fire and building more resilient landscapes and communities.
About Lomakatsi
For nearly 30 years, Ashland-based nonprofit Lomakatsi Restoration Project has partnered with local, state, and federal agencies, Tribal Nations, nonprofits, and many others to restore thousands of acres of forests and miles of streams. Through this work, they advance social equity by layering in education, tribal partnerships, and workforce training programs while leading an all hands on deck approach to create more resilient ecosystems and communities.

It’s fire season.
Be part of the solution.
Bring your friends and neighbors.

Partners: Ashland.News, OSF and Ashland Together
We invite you to subscribe to Ashland.news to keep abreast of what’s happening in our town.

Say Their Names Rebuild
2024-07-20 07:00 - 2024-07-21 13:00 | Railroad Park, Ashland, A Street, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
The Say Their Names T-shirt Memorial at Railroad Park has been vandalized for the 4th time!

You are invited to join in the rebuilding of the memorial!

Where:
Railroad Park on A Street between 7th and 8th

When:
Anytime on Saturday, July 20 7:30AM to 10:00AM AND Sunday, July 21 7:30AM to 1:00PM

How:
Kits including names, five t-shirts, a permanent marker, and zip ties will be provided to those who show up to help. Stay and complete the shirts in the park or take your kit home and install the shirts on the fence by Tuesday, July 22. Bringing scissors, cardboard pieces to flatten the fabric, or wire cutters to clean up the debris on the fence would be helpful, but is not necessary.

Donations:
Cash to help pay for supplies and/or T-shirts (used or new) for future rebuilds can be donated to a volunteer at the fence during the above times on Saturday and Sunday.

For questions regarding the rebuild contact: SayTheirNamesCollective@gmail.com

BBQ Fundraiser for BASE
2024-08-08 18:30 - 21:00 | OR
Open to the public. We seek your support.
BBQ Fundraiser: We invite everyone from the community to join us for a BBQ Fundraiser from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. This event is open to everyone and aims to support BASE programming. Come enjoy:

Delicious BBQ plates for $20 each
DJ music and fun field games/activities
Raffle prizes and gifts
Hear from BASE youth about their experiences and the impact BASE has made on them

This is a fantastic opportunity to support BASE, our youth and celebrate achievements while enjoying great food and company.

From Thorns to Blossoms: A Japanese American Family in War and Peace.
2024-08-19 18:30 - 20:00 | Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
Mitzi Loftus shared her story to a standing-room-only crowd in April 2024 at Bloomsbury Books in Ashland. Did you miss that event?
Ashland Together is glad to bring Mitzi and her son David Loftus back for an encore presentation of their book From Thorns to Blossoms A Japanese American Family in War and Peace.
Monday, August 19, 2024, 6:30 – 8pm
Carpenter Hall 44 S Pioneer St Ashland
About Mitzi Loftus
From Oregon University State Press new books 2024:
“Born on a fruit orchard in Hood River, Oregon, in 1932, Mitzi Asai Loftus spent three years of her childhood in government incarceration camps in California and Wyoming. For more than seventy years, she has given public talks about her family’s experience to audiences of all ages. Having lived much of her adult life in Eugene and Coos Bay, she now resides in Ashland.

About David Loftus
Writer, editor, actor, and voice artist David Loftus is a native Oregonian. The author of several books, David has acted on stage and in film, recorded books for the blind, and read literature aloud at bookstores, coffee, shops, and pubs in a series he calls “Story Time for Grownups.” He lived 10 years in Boston but has been a Portland resident since 1991.

Photo credit: Bob Morse

This PBS video is posted with permission from the producer and director Rory Banyard

If you wish to support Ashland Together’s work, please make your tax-deductible donation here. We want to thank Peace House for their fiscal sponsorship of Ashland Together.

Building Post-Election Common Ground
2024-11-12 18:30 - 20:00 | Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
The Ashland Sunrise Project (ASP) announces “Building Post-Election Common Ground,” the fourth presentation in its speaker series. This event will take place on November 12, 2024, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Carpenter Hall, 44 S. Pioneer, Ashland.
“Building Post-Election Common Ground” is a conversation between Mike and Emily Green co-founders of Common Ground Conversations on Race (CGC), , Taylor Stewart, founder of the Oregon Remembrance Project, and host Tara Houston, Community and Engagement Manager, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF).
The post-election narrative in this nation, regardless of who wins, will be of key importance. Political messaging and media play a significant role in the influence of perspectives nationwide.
In this talk, Mike & Emily Green will introduce paradigm-shifting new knowledge and understanding of racial dynamics in American society today through an informed lens of historical context.
Are there issues that can build a common ground of understanding? Yes! But note the nuance. Developing an understanding among people who disagree doesn’t mean they will find agreement. Our focus is to establish a common ground of knowledge and understanding, not necessarily agreement.
“Developing an understanding among people who disagree doesn’t mean they will find agreement.” Mike Green
The evening’s conversation will highlight how we can build a common ground of understanding.
Mike Green is a nationally known cultural economist, author, speaker, and radio host. Emily Green has a background in social work, specializing in wraparound services for families in distress. Mike and Emily are married co-founders of Common Ground Conversations on Race in America (CGC), which provides a trademarked “Conversations Journey” process that has a four-year record of success with institutional and organizational clients, such as: municipalities, police departments, K-12 school districts and higher education, county library systems, community organizations and evangelical churches.

ASP is a truth and reconciliation coalition addressing our community’s history as a Sundown Town. Reconciliation includes remembrance: understanding the harm that was caused; repair: putting an end to harm as it continues today; and redemption: creating good from a story of harm.
Ashland Sunrise Project, a part of Oregon Remembrance Project (ORP), aims to help former sundown towns develop new identities as “sunrise communities,” the opposite of a sundown town. Sunrise communities are places in which everyone can feel safe, respected, and can call home.
Ashland Sunrise Project is an Ashland Together Initiative in partnership with the Oregon Remembrance Project. We thank the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for venue support of this event. This program was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this event, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities

Kwanzaa
2024-12-26 16:30 - 19:00 | Ashland Historic Armory, 208 Oak Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
Make sure to register so you don’t miss out on this year’s Kwanzaa celebration featuring entertainment, a delicious meal, exciting prizes, dancing, and networking. This celebration is a chance for us to come together as a community, reflect on our shared values, and prepare for a powerful start to the New Year. Spots are limited, so make sure to RSVP here to secure your spot. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.
Music, Dancing, Food, Performances, and more.
$20 per person
Doors open 4:30 PM

Justice for Hakiym - Community Response Meeting
2025-01-04 15:00 - 16:30 | Medford Library, 205 South Central Avenue, Medford, OR, 97501, United States
Four ways you can help
(in addition to the above)
1. Attend the community response meeting on Saturday (see below)
2. Sign the petition on the BASE website
3. Write to JusticeforHakiym@gmail.com to offer ways to lend your support.
4. Help spread the word on social media

Benefit Concert
2025-01-18 12:00 - 14:00 | Oak Knoll Golf Course, 3070 OR-66, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
We will gather to connect, build power, and support local organizations that help people impacted by the incoming administration and its policies.
We organize in solidarity with the National People’s March, but this event is about ACTION!! Please, consider ways to invest your time and resources in our local community. Come on out and hear about the organizations doing the work and learn how you can help! Together WE rise!
January 18, 2025 11:00 to 2:00
11:00 Doors and Food Truck Open
12:00 – 2:00 Music and Guest Speakers Oak Knoll Golf Course 3070 Highway 66, Ashland, OR
Featuring
Alice Di Micele and Bret Levick Bill Scholer and The Brash Band
Blue Lightning
The Holy Misfits
Tommy Letchworth of Smiley T and The Tall Trees
Please: Carpool, Wear Comfortable Shoes. Dress in layers. Bring Chairs and Umbrellas. Check the Women’s March Southern Oregon FB Event for parking suggestions, last minute updates and live stream. Rain or Shine We RISE!
Go to this link to show your support.

Martin Luther King Day 2025
2025-01-20 12:00 - 14:00 | Ashland Historic Armory, 208 Oak Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
12 Noon, Monday, January 20, 2025, Doors open at 11:30 AM
​Ashland Historic Armory – 208 Oak Street
Free admission – Non-perishable food donations encouraged
This year, the celebration’s theme is “The Battle is in Our Hands…We Must Keep Going…The End we seek is a society at peace with itself, One that can live with its Conscience.”Performers and keynote speaker will be announced here soon.
If no room is left at the Armory, people can head to the overflow venue at OSF’s Carpenter Hall for a livestream of events. Start time is the same.
​After the celebration, in keeping with time-tradition, there will be a march from the Armory to the downtown Plaza to hear Dr. King’s original “I have a Dream” speech.

Aretha Franklin Tribute
2025-02-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Craterian Theater, Collier Center for the Performing Arts, 23 S Central Avenue, Medford
Celebrate Black History Month with BASE at R.E.S.P.E.C.T.!
Join BASE for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate the life, legacy, and music of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin!
This special tribute concert, R.E.S.P.E.C.T., will take place on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at the Craterian Theater in Medford at 7:00 PM.
Why You Don’t Want to Miss This:
Experience the power of Aretha’s greatest hits, from “Respect” to “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
Exclusive BASE Reception (6-7 PM): Meet up before the show for small bites, drinks, and a special tribute to Aretha’s impact
Sing, dance, and honor a legend who shaped music and the civil rights movement
Discount for BASE Subscribers! Use code BASE10 online for 10% off tickets or call the Box Office to skip the $2.50 ticket fee
Location: Craterian Theater, Collier Center for the Performing Arts, 23 S Central Avenue, Medford
Get tickets here: https://craterian.org/event/r-e-s-p-e-c-t/
Let’s come together for a night of music, community, and history as we celebrate Aretha Franklin’s timeless legacy. Secure your tickets today and join us for an evening of soul, power, and joy!
Thank you
BASE TEAM

How To Do No Harm and Be a Good Neighbor
2025-02-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 87 Fourth St., Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
This event will also be live-streamed via the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/@roguevalleyunitarianuniver8871
Ashland Sunrise Project invites you to meet and hear from John Almaguer, our local immigration attorney. John Almaguer is a Mexican American attorney at Stout Law. He has been practicing immigration law for 24 years in Southern Oregon.
Almaguer will be speaking on Monday, February 24, from 6pm–7:30pm at Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (RVUUF), located at 87 Fourth Street, Ashland.
Ashland Sunrise Project (ASP), a part of Oregon Remembrance Project (ORP), aims to help former sundown towns develop new identities as “sunrise communities,” the opposite of a sundown town. Sunrise communities are places in which everyone can feel safe, respected, and can call home.
ASP thanks its community partners for this event, which include:
RVUUF, Oregon Remembrance Project, Unete Oregon, Ashland Together, Peace House, and the City of Ashland’s Social Equity & Racial Justice Advisory Committee (SERJ).
This event is free. Please register below
This event will also be livestreamed via the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/@roguevalleyunitarianuniver8871

Better Prepared Wildfire Series - Wildfire Preparedness
2025-04-21 18:00 | Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
Take Action to be Better Prepared!

APRIL 21
6 to 8 p.m.
Carpenter Hall
44 S Pioneer
Wildfire Preparedness
Preparing Family & Community
More info ashlandoregon.gov/ BetterPreparedSeries
Register Here

Community Partners
Ashland.news
Ashland Climate
Collaborative
Ashland Together

Better Prepared Wildfire Series - Ashland Wildfire Protection Plan Open House
2025-05-04 14:00 - 17:00 | The Grove, 1195 East Main Street, Ashland, OR, 97520
Take Action to be Better Prepared!
Part 2 Ashland Wildfire Protection Plan Open House
MAY 4
2 to 5 p.m.
The Grove 1195 E Main
Empowering Community
More info ashlandoregon.gov/ BetterPreparedSeries
Register Here

Community Partners
Ashland.news
Ashland Climate
Collaborative
Ashland Together

How Do You Reconcile a Lynching? A Story of Justice and Redemption
2025-05-08 17:30 - 19:00 | Meese Auditorium, SOU, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR, 97520
The event will focus on the life and legacy of Alonzo Tucker, Oregon’s most documented African American lynching victim, and the efforts to seek justice and reconciliation. Stewart will share insights on confronting historical injustices and fostering community healing.
“This story is not just about reconciliation; it’s about finding a way to heal and foster hope in our communities,” Stewart explains. “By confronting these painful narratives, we can begin to foster understanding and pave the way for a more just future.”
Gabi Johnsen, founder of Grants Pass Remembrance Project (GPRP) and Community Engagement Director of ORP, will join the discussion. A Q&A session will follow. The Ashland Sunrise Project invites community members, educators, and advocates to take part in this conversation on historical justice in Oregon.
Register Below
Taylor Stewart is the Founder and Executive Director of the Oregon Remembrance Project (ORP). He is a lifelong Portlander and graduated from UP in 2018 with a degree in Communication and a Master’s in Social Work from PSU in 2021. Stewart started ORP in 2018 to help communities unearth stories of injustice and engage in the necessary truth telling and repair required to reconcile instances of historical harm. His work connects historical racism to its present-day legacies in order to inspire contemporary racial justice action. In what started as simply a way to memorialize an African American lynching victim named Alonzo Tucker, Stewart has grown to see the power of reconciliation to rectify further instances of historical injustice.
Gabrielle Johnsen is the Community Engagement Director with Oregon Remembrance Project and a core caretaker of Grants Pass Remembrance (the Sunrise Project in her community of Grants Pass). She has collaborated with Taylor Stewart since 2020 in the development of the Sunrise Project. This work embodies much of what she cares about – racial reconciliation, learning and growing together with neighbors, and supporting opportunities to see and hear the “others” in our lives and communities!

Directions and parking

FROM NORTHBOUND 1-5:
Take exit 14 and turn left onto Ashland Street/Hwy 66.
Continue on Ashland Street to Siskiyou Blvd (where all traffic must turn right).
Take the first left onto Indiana Street.
There are free one hour parking spaces behind the Museum. Additional metered parking is located across from the Museum (the first left after you turn onto Indiana).
FROM SOUTHBOUND 1-5:

Take exit 19 and turn right onto Valley View Road.
Turn left onto Highway 99 (this will become North Main Street).
Keep right onto Siskiyou Blvd.
Turn right onto Indiana Street.
There are free one hour parking spaces behind the Museum. Additional metered parking is located across from the Museum (the first left after you turn onto Indiana).The Museum is wheelchair-accessible. Large-print handouts are available upon request.

Irene Kai - The Journey
2025-06-06 - 2025-06-28 | Langford Art Gallery, 4850 South Pacific Hwy, Phoenix, OR, 97535, United States
Opening 06.06.2025 @ 5PM
Artist Reception with AAUW 06.14.2025 @ 3 PM
An internationally known artist, author, and speaker, Irene Kai was born and raised in Hong Kong and traveled extensively. She received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in NYC and MFA from the Royal College of Art in London and currently teaches Painting and Design at the Rogue Community College. Her work has been shown in galleries in London, New York, Los Angeles, and southern Oregon. She posed for George Segal in 1976 and the sculptures of her image were in the Whitney Museum permanent collection. Irene designed the logo for the Culture of Peace Initiative, a United Nations Peace Messenger Organization, and her inspiring image hangs in the United Nations building in New York City. She Co-founded the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission and brought the World Peace Flame to Ashland from Wales.
lrene’s award-winning books – What Do You See? – an experiential book. The Golden Mountain: Beyond the American Dream has been chosen for course studies in major universities, an autobiography of four generations of women in her family, a journey spanning over a hundred years of how their influences shaped her life. The healing process of writing this book sets the women free. By having the courage to speak out about family secrets, Irene expresses her process of finding the light within through her paintings and her devotion to truth. To live in peace is to reconnect with our souls, speaking from our hearts. To find the courage to transcend culture, and to live authentically, but most of all, to love deeply.

Juneteenth 2025
2025-06-21 | Pear Blossom Park, 212 N Bartlett St, Medford, OR, 97501
JUNETEENTH
June 21st, 2025
Saturday
11am – 8pm
Pear Blossom Park
312 E. 4th street
Medford, Oregon
CELEBRATE FREEDOM: LIVE BANDS, DJ, VENDORS, KIDS ZONE
AND MORE…

Playwrights Walk Plaque
2025-06-22 14:00 - 15:00 | Railroad Park, Ashland, A Street, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
Celebrate the unveiling of the Playwrights Walk Plaque honoring Lorraine Hansberry and Black lives.
Designed by Micah BlackLight ~ Cast in bronze by Jack Langford ~
Celebrate the plaque dedication with guest speakers in honor of Juneteenth!
Brought to you by Ashland’s Social Equity & Racial Justice Advisory Committee, Public Arts
Advisory Committee, and Ashland Playwrights Walk sponsors – Oregon Shakespeare Festival,
Southern Oregon University, the Ashland Chamber of Commerce & the City of Ashland

Celebrate Peace
2025-08-08 18:00 - 21:00 | Bellviewe Grange, 1050 Tolman Creek Road, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
Come dance with us on August 8th!
Have you bought your ticket yet?

Have you heard? We’re hosting a dance on Friday, August 8th from 6 to 9 p.m. to raise funds to continue our advocacy for a world without war or nuclear weapons.
Enjoy music from Ashland’s own Blue Lightning and feast on a Cajun/Creole buffet from Chef Curtis Leon Paul.
Check out the menu: Smoked chicken & pork or smoked tofu jambalaya! Wild mushroom and fennel cream sauce! Red beans and rice! Cajun potato salad! AND fresh fruit cobbler. Gluten-free options available too.
Help Chef Curtis out a little and get your ticket this week so he knows just how much to prepare.
If you prefer to pay by cash or check, you can still RSVP in advance: call or email us by August 1st if you can. Email: info@peacehouse.net. Phone: (541) 482-9625

Reserve your ticket now!

Better Prepared Wildfire Series - Insurance
2025-08-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Making Our Homes more Survivable and Insurable against Wildfire
August 21, 6 to 8 p.m. Webinar on Zoom
Join staff from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety as they share about a newly available science-based home certification program that is likely to make your home more survivable and insurable.
Presentation will include background and program details, followed by a Q&A.
Hosted by the City of Ashland & Ashland.news
Sign up here https://ashlandoregon.gov/InsurableHomes
Contact convene@ashland.news for more info.

INTO ACTION
2025-09-08 17:30 - 19:00 | Ashland Public Library, 410 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland
Ashland, you have read books, joined book clubs, and attended ASP events at Carpenter Hall and elsewhere.
Now is the time to organize and work towards the solution while engaging our community with a hands-on approach.

Learn the exciting next steps!
FREE EVENT
MON, SEPT 8, 5:30 – 7:00 PM
ASHLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
410 Siskiyou Boulevard Ashland, OR 97520

Pride Festival
2025-10-03 - 2025-10-04 | Main Street, Ashland, OR, Main Street, Ashland, OR
SOPRIDE FESTIVAL
OCT. 3RD -4TH
Friday Oct. 3rd
OUT & ABOUT ART WALK
Saturday Oct. 4th
PRIDE PARADE BEGINS AT 10 AM
We march down Main Street to the bandshell in Lithia Park for vendor booths, food trucks, Drag, DJ entertainment and fun for all.
SELECT A WINNER
All week long enjoy the prideful window/business decorations.
Select your winner by scanning

An Evening with john a. powell
2025-10-06 18:30 - 20:30 | Angus Bowmer Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 15 Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR, 97520, United States
Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute University of California, Berkeley
October 6th, 2025
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Angus Bowmer Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
20 East Main Street, Ashland
“Bridging is not about erasing differences. It’s about connecting across them.”
From Hyper-Individualism to Radical Collaboration
Join neighbors and leaders for an inspiring conversation with Professor john a. powell, renowned globally for helping communities rethink seemingly intractable problems.
Co-hosted by a growing coalition of local leaders determined to dissolve silos, strengthen partnerships, and meet our shared challenges through innovative thinking.
Sign up here
Introduction by Tim Bond, Artistic Director, OSF

Belonging and Civic Muscle | Community Conversation with All.Together.Now
2025-11-16 14:00 - 15:30 | TBA
Sunday, November 16th 2:00-3:30 PM

Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Carpenter Hall, 44 S Pioneer Street, Ashland

Following a packed house for An Evening with john a. powell on October 6th, we’ll gather to focus on Belonging and Civic Muscle

What we’ll explore:

What does belonging mean in our community?
What are your hopes and concerns?
What would it take for people to truly and thrive here?
What to expect: Facilitated small and large group conversations to discover what we truly want.

Free Event | Registration Required

REGISTER HERE for the first gathering.
Why This Matters
Professor powell warned us about “conflict entrepreneurs” who profit from division. Our region faces real challenges: housing, economic stress, climate impacts, institutional distrust. We can keep working in silos, or we can choose radical collaboration.
Over 500 of us showed up on October 6th. Many more heard about the event and want to be involved. Now we can build on that momentum.
Next Steps
1. Register for the November 16th gathering
2. Forward this email to others who should join
ALL.TOGETHER.NOW.
From Hyper-Individualism to Radical Collaboration
Our Ashland region faces shared challenges–housing shortages, budget constraints, economic uncertainty, climate threats, educational pressures, political divides, etc.
For several months, a group of community leaders has been meeting to explore how we can face these challenges head-on while building connection and resilience throughout Southern Oregon.
The October 6th event with Professor powell represented the first public step in this multi-year, multi-generational, multi-cultural, collaboration to strengthen our community. We’re starting with Ashland during our first year, out ultimate hope is to branch out to our neighbors in Talent and Phoenix, ensuring we can create concrete and lasting solutions together.
ALL.TOGETHER.NOW.’s growing list of community partners:
Ashland Climate Collaborative, Ashland School District,
Ashland Together, Ashland.news, Black Southern Oregon Alliance,
City of Ashland, Common Ground Conversations, Ford Family Foundation,
Gordon Elwood Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation,
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Rogue Community Health,
Southern Oregon Success, Southern Oregon University,
United Way of Jackson County
The institutional home for All.Together.Now. is Southern Oregon Success.

5th Anniversary of Aidan Ellison's Death
2025-11-23 14:00 - 15:00 | Ashland High School, 201 S Mountain Ave, Ashland, OR, 97520
Sunday November 23rd at 2:00pm -3:00pm we will celebrate the life of Aidan Ellison that was taken too soon.
In front of the mural at Ashland High School.Stand in solidarity and community
