Lantern with lit candle on grave at night
** Note: Shallow depth of field
Award season may be over, but not in Lincoln City. The Oregon Festivals & Events Association recently presented the 2016 Hidden Gem Award to the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) for “A Tour To Die For.”
The award was presented at the Oregon Festivals & Events Association’s annual Ovation! Awards Ceremony in Seaside on March 7th. Scott Humpert, Marketing Manager at the VCB, accepted the award on behalf of the City and the event partners. The Hidden Gem Award is bestowed upon small but worthy events with fewer than 1,000 attendees that makes an impact on a community and is worth bragging about.
“A Tour To Die For”, which premiered last October, featured guided tours of Lincoln City’s hilltop graveyard, Pioneer Cemetery. History truly came to life as permanent residents of the cemetery, played by local actors, told an eternity of tales to participants. “A Tour to Die For” was a successful collaboration between the VCB, Theatre West, Taft Pioneer Cemetery Association and the North Lincoln County Historical Museum, with support from Chinook Winds Casino Resort and the Lincoln City Cultural Center. Anne Hall, Director of the Museum, is proud of the recent award.
“I am very excited about the award,” says Hall. “For a brand new event, this is a tremendous honor to the Museum. Since the event was held last October, we’ve had more interest in the Museum from visitors. People want to learn about our rich history. By telling that history in a fun and unique way, “A Tour To Die” For has allowed us to reach a new audience that we’ve never interacted with before.”
Formed in the late 1990s, the Oregon Festivals and Events Association (OFEA) is a stand-alone organization that focuses on the Oregon events industry. The OFEA is lead by a board of event professionals and volunteers, whose mission is to provide resources as well as educational and networking opportunities for industry stakeholders.
“A Tour To Die For” is also nominated for two other awards this year: the Heritage Tourism Award from Travel Oregon and the Oregon Heritage Excellence Award from Oregon State Parks. “A Tour To Die For” will return to Lincoln City on October 20-22 & 27-29, 2017. For more information, please visit OregonCoast.org or call 541-996-1274.
Information and photos provided by LCVCB
