Treasure Our Veterans at Celebration of Honor

Chinook Winds Casino Resort invites all active duty personnel, military veterans and their families to the 13^th Annual Celebration of Honor, September 14^th through the 18^th. This patriotic event includes a Veterans Medal Ceremony, a comedy show, and a special glass float drop on the beach.

The event begins with the Ride of Honor, which is a parade of motorcycles through Lincoln City, on Wednesday at 12noon. The parade will escort the Oregon Travelling Memorial Wall, which was made to honor Vietnam and Gulf War veterans, through town to the Casino. At 1pm, the Wall will be set up in front of the Casino and be available for viewing all weekend. Also set up that day is the Field of Honor, a display of 1,000 American flags overlooking the ocean. The Field of Honor can be viewed throughout the weekend, and is located on the grassy field behind the Casino. Official Opening Ceremonies for the Celebration of Honor begin at 6pm on Friday.

Celebration of Honor Opening Ceremony

The Oregon Veterans Medal Presentation Ceremonies will be held at the Field of Honor on Friday, September 16^th at 2pm, and on Saturday September 17^th, at 5pm. Each ceremony is held to observe the service and sacrifice of Oregon’s veterans. To qualify for this medal, an application form must be completed in advance with proof of military service attached. Forms will be available at the Field of Honor starting Wednesday, September 14^th.

Veterans and active-duty personnel eat free during open hours at Siletz Bay Buffet on Thursday, September 15^th. Stop by the Winners Circle to register and show proof of military service (DD-214 or other military ID) to receive a meal voucher. Also, free on Thursday is the Comedy for Freedom show at the Convention Center starting at 7pm. Show your military ID at the Winners Circle to receive a complimentary ticket. Seating is limited and it is recommended that veterans reserve their tickets early.

The 2016 Celebration of Honor Float

The patriotic fun extends to the beach for the weekend. Walk along the seven miles of shoreline in Lincoln City and beachcombers might find a red, white, and blue glass float. Volunteers, called Float Fairies, will carefully place 50 of these patriotic glass art pieces on the beach. The treasure hunt is part of Finders Keepers; glass floats on the beach in Lincoln City, and officially kicks off on October 15^th and runs through Memorial Day, 2017.

For more information about the Celebration of Honor, contact Heather Hatton at Chinook Winds Casino Resort at 541-996-5766 or visit www.oregoncoast.org/celebration-of-honor.