Florence Winter Music Festival
The Florence Events Center may be the hottest spot on the Oregon Coast each winter during the annual Florence Winter Music Festival. Each January for nearly 20 years (well, except for 2021…Covid-19, you know), we have hosted three days of award-winning and nationally-touring musical acts, including performers of heartwarming new and traditional folk, foot-stompin’ Americana, and blazin’ hot bluegrass.
Harmonizing with the Winter Arts Festival
In harmony with the music festival is the free Florence Regional Arts Alliance Winter Arts Festival. The festival features renowned local and regional artists and craftspeople who fill more than 6,000 square feet with about two dozen exhibits with two- and three-dimensional art pieces in a wide variety of media, personal care items, edibles, and adult potables. In addition to selling their works, select artists demonstrate how they create their art or craft.
There are also performer-led workshops on songwriting, guitar skills, and jamming, plus free open jam sessions in a dedicated, on-site jamming space and excellent food and drink for purchase.
Kids Love It Too!
Foundational to the Florence Winter Music Festival is the annual Kiwanis Kids Concert. Each year, more than 1000 students, teachers, and chaperones hop on school busses from Florence, Mapleton, and Reedsport and gather at the FEC for fun, engaging music education.
Benefits of the Kiwanis Kids Concert
Kids in the Siuslaw region face many challenges, but opportunities for arts education awakens children to a wider world and broader thinking often limited in rural communities.
That’s why we host an annual Kids Concert at the Florence Events Center on the Thursday prior to the three-day music festival.
And it’s making a difference.
Arts Education for Local Students
“Jemma” grew up in her grandmother’s home. Jemma’s school’s music program was drastically scaled back by the time she was in the third grade, but she was able to attend Kids Concerts.
She recently told us: “It was magical. That big, impressive theater—it was so beautiful!” Then I noticed little kids’ artwork—our artwork—was decorating the walls of that amazing place! I felt so important… So proud! The performers gave a concert just for us kids—with singalong parts—and taught us a lot of basic things about music that I remember to this day. It changed my life!”
Jemma’s is but one story of how local students benefit from an event they may otherwise never get to experience.
Make A Difference
Will you please be a part of our next Kids Concert, even a tiny part, by helping to underwrite our costs with a financial gift? Would you consider an investment in our community’s kids of $25? $100? Maybe even $1000? Every gift matters, no matter its size.
Like Jemma, many have gone on to better educations, more fulfilling lives, and being more responsible and engaged in life because they went to concerts funded by kindhearted, education-minded people like you.
715 Quince Street
Florence, OR 97439