Another Season of Hanging Flower Baskets in Oregon Coast's Florence and More of Them

Published 02/07/23 at 2:59 AM
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Florence, Oregon) – Soon, those colorful, pleasing displays will be up again in the central Oregon coast town of Florence, showing off the flora of the place and accentuating Old Town and other parts of the burgh from spring through fall, as they have in the last seven years.

The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the public works department of the City of Florence to put up those decorative, eye-catching flower baskets, keeping a favorite tradition alive.

However, they're looking to grow the program this year, with even more baskets this time: at least 130 on Highway 101, from the interesection of Highway 126 to the famed bridge, and all over Old Town.

To that end, they're going to need a few donations from local businesses, civic clubs and even individuals from out of town, with sponsorships of $100.

Chamber president and CEO said this whole thing helps celebrate local optimism, good will, and even good weather (when that happens on the Oregon coast). Most of all there's a sense of “welcome to our community," she said.

“We also make a ‘stop and look’ statement to all drivers, be they local or passersby, giving everyone a reason to think positively about our community,” Hannigan said. “Smiles are contagious, and these baskets generate them in abundance.”

Each year the chamber organizes the fundraising part as the public works department hangs the flower baskets from May into October. Last year, 90 donors helped out, including some from Eugene, Albany, Corvallis and other locales.

“We’ve discovered that some of our sponsors are inspired visitors or have vacation places in Florence. Some people sponsor them as a dedication to a friend or loved one,” added Hannigan. “Many people take pictures with them to share online and remember their trip to Florence. That gives the program a lot of extra marketing milage. Many of our sponsors sign up year after year for the pride it gives them for supporting and beautifying our community. You can sponsor one by going to https://bit.ly/2023FlowerBaskets or calling the chamber office at 541-997-3128.”

Hannigan says that approximately 1400 people in Florence (roughly 40% of those employed) rely on tourism-based employment, and that tourism pumps about $200 million into the local economy each year. (Figures based on spring 2021 reports from Dean Runyan.)

“This is yet another way to build on our local beauty and support local small businesses," she said. "By hanging them along the new Highway 101 streetscape, as well as in Old Town, locals and visitors will slow down and take in a very positive impression of our community, and that helps commerce in our area.”

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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