2023 Annual Conference Events & Activities

LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!

There are so many fun things to do on the way to and all around Ashland. The wonderful folks in the South District have come up with some great activities for you to choose from. Some, we’ll need you to select and pre-pay with your registration, so the venues are prepared for you. Others, you can visit on your own. Here they are:

  • Thursday, 7:30 pm – “The Revolutionists” at the Collaborative Theatre Project, Medford: a play about four “bad-ass” women, a “girl-powered comedy” set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Learn more and get tickets: (https://ctpmedford.org) Those already at the hotel can carpool.
  • Friday, 9:15 and 10:30 am – Hour-long tour of Medford’s famous Harry & David headquarters. Guided tours where you can see the culinary team create special and yummy truffles, cheesecakes, and the incredible “Moose Munch Premium Popcorn.” Watch the team assemble gourmet gift towers and fruit baskets. Tours start at the Country Village, where you’ll board one of the custom vans. 1314 Center Drive, Suite A, Medford. Take I-5, Exit 27. Tickets are $5 per person.
  • Friday, noon – Walking tour with a trained volunteer naturalist in Ashland’s Lithia Park. This free tour includes an easy, interesting, one-and-a-half-hour nature walk through this gorgeous urban park. You will learn about trees, flowers, birds, climate, water, geology, and the park’s history. Carpool from the hotel. Free.
  • Friday, anytime
    – Self-tour of downtown Ashland, shopping, dining, exploring. Free (except for what you purchase!). The information is available at the hotel.
  • Friday, times available are 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00 pm – Tour of Caldera Brewery and Restaurant, near the hotel, an easy walk “across the street.” Caldera is dedicated to producing high-quality ales, lagers, seltzers, sodas, and cuisine. You could tour the brewery, taste one or two of the brews and/or buy a pint that you can sip while you tour the facility. Each tour takes about 45 minutes, and if you get hungry, buy lunch at their excellent restaurant! No charge for the tour. The pint and lunch would be on you! Please select a time for this tour! Free.
  • Friday, 1:00-3:00 pm – Cooking Class at Cosmic Muffin School of Cookery. Chef Deborah Costella creates a fun and entertaining cooking experience at her highly-rated and popular school. The price includes everything you need for an enjoyable afternoon meal: food, beverages, aprons, instruction, and recipes. Your meal will be Very French-Very Cozy and involves the preparation of a simplified Cassoulet, a light Tomato Tartare and a traditional Chocolate Mousse to finish the meal. After cooking and instruction are completed, guests enjoy the food they have prepared. Class size is limited to 12 who will work in teams of two. Must wear closed-toed shoes. Cosmic Muffin is located at 296 East Main Street in downtown Ashland, five minutes from the hotel. Four-hour parking lots within easy walking distance. Cost: $80 per person. Carpool from the hotel.
  • Friday, 2:00 pm – A wine tour of Weisinger Family Winery, which produces some of the finest wine in the Rogue Valley. This tour will include tasting four wines: a white rose and two reds. Eric Weisinger will talk about wines and his philosophy about making wine. Nosh and nibble plates are available at an extra cost and can be made gluten-free. This small group setting will provide the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better, so we’d love to have you join us. The cost for a tasting flight of wines: $20. Nosh and nibbles vary from $8-$20 (in cash, please). Check out the website at https://www.weisingers.com/ Carpool from the hotel.
  • Saturday, 4:45 pm, at the hotel – Unwind with Dina: Chair Yoga, All Levels (See full description in Speakers & presenters link.)
  • Sunday, 1:00 pm – “Five on Fire: Groundbreaking Women of Song,” five powerhouse musicians perform music from Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Carol King, Carly Simon, Roberta Flack and many other influential women of song. Oregon Cabaret Theatre, 241 Hargadine St., Ashland. (https://oregoncabaret.com)