Free Thanksgiving Dinner
The Sweet Home Liquor Store and Sons of AmVets will host a free Thanksgiving dinner starting at 12 noon (until the food is gone) on Thursday, Nov. 28, at the Veterans Club, 580 Main St. Everyone is welcome.
Gingerbread Competition
The sixth annual Gingerbread Competition will be open for public view from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30, at City Hall, 3225 Main St.
Whether you’re a master builder or just love the festive fun, this is your chance to compete or simply enjoy the beauty and creativity of handcrafted gingerbread houses. This event is open to all, and participation is free.
Entries must be dropped off between 2-4 p.m. on Nov. 30. Judging begins after 4:15 p.m; People’s Choice voting takes place from 5-7 p.m.
The competition has categories for all ages: child (5-8), youth (9-12), teen (13-17), adult (18+), and group/family.
Sponsored by Julegård: The Christmas Farm, and hosted by the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce. For more information and to register your gingerbread creation, visit https://bit.ly/3OeA2Y2.
City Hall Tree Lighting
Gather your family and friends to watch the Sweet Home City Hall Tree Lighting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 3225 Main St.
Fundraisers for Habitat for Humanity
Fundraisers to benefit Lebanon Area Habitat for Humanity will be held this year through a variety of options.
Friday, Nov. 29: Panda Express at 1990 S Main St., Lebanon, will donate 20% of your order to Habitat when you show them Habitat’s flier (found at https://bit.ly/48UuJ9E), or if ordering online, use code 381836.
Nov. 29-Dec. 2: Habitat will launch an online sale from 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, until 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, at https://www.lebanonoregonhabitat.com/restore. All prices are below in-store prices.
Sunday, Dec. 22: Habitat will host “Holiday Bingo” from 3-5 p.m. at Tallman Brewing, 2055 Primrose St., and 50% of proceeds from the games goes to Habitat.
Tuesday, Dec. 31: Panda Express at 1990 S Main St., Lebanon, will donate 20% of your order to Habitat when you show them Habitat’s flier (found at https://bit.ly/3Zdw9sW), or if ordering online, use code 381837.
Holiday Light Competition
Julegård: The Christmas Farm and the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce will host the “Let it Glow” holiday light competition from Dec. 1 to Jan. 5. To register your home, visit https://bit.ly/3Zb57lW.
Ski Club Fundraiser
The Sweet Home High School Ski and Ride Club will be having a fundraiser from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the SHHS commons area, 1641 Long St.
There will be a $10 “All You Can Eat Soup Dinner,” a ski movie, and a silent auction featuring a Hoodoo season pass, lift tickets, and lots of gift baskets from local businesses. Proceeds help fund lift tickets, rentals and transportation to Hoodoo Ski Area for students this winter. All payments must be either cash or check.
Genealogy Society Holiday Bazaar
The Sweet Home Genealogy Society is holding their annual Holiday Bazaar, Dec. 6 and 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We have several vendor tables with lots of fun items: gnomes, wreaths, handcrafted items, table runners, Christmas items, baked goods and household items. We also have “Grannies Attic” where we have tons of miscellaneous items as well as 6 Raffle baskets and a quilt. We are located at 1223 Kalmia St. in Sweet Home.
Singing Christmas Tree
The Sweet Home Community Singing Christmas Tree will present “As Long As There’s Christmas” from Dec. 6-8 at the high school auditorium, 1641 Long St.
The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. Admission is free, but audience donations will benefit the Sweet Home Public Library.
Brownsville Festival of Trees
Brownsville’s annual Festival of the Trees will be held on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, in conjunction with the city’s “Home for the Holidays” event.
Sponsored by the Brownsville Women’s Study Club, the 25 trees, beautifully decorated by volunteer artists, will be found in locations across the downtown business district. The list of locations can be picked up at any business in town.
The 1881 Moyer House will host three of the trees and will be open for free visits those two days. The trees are all available for auction with this year’s proceeds supporting the Brownsville Library and the Sharing Hands Food Bank.
Bidding will take place both days ending at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Winners need to be able to pick up their trees immediately afterwards. For more information, visit the Brownsville Women’s Study Club Facebook page.
Kids Free Christmas Store
The Sweet Home Kids Free Christmas Store will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 7, at Freedom Hill Church, 2470 Main St.
Kids aged 2 through 12 may shop free for the family they live with. Volunteers will be available to wrap their presents. The kids can also make a craft and watch a movie, and each shopper is given a healthy sack lunch.
For more information, contact Nancy Patton at 541.409.4276, or visit https://www.facebook.com/kidsfreestoreonlineauction.
Christmas Tree Auction Dec. 7
The Sweet Home Alumni Foundation will present its annual Decorated Christmas Tree Auction at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Community Center, 880 18th Ave.
Entitled “The Jingle Ball,” the event will include a silent auction (including baked goods, hand crafted items, holiday gifts, and themed baskets) and the headliner event, the auctioning off of 18 top-quality, freshly cut, highly decorated Christmas trees to raise money for scholarships that will be presented to Sweet Home High School graduates. The Alumni Association awarded more than $90,000 in scholarships in 2024.
Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. General admission is $50. For tickets, visit SHAFgives.org or call 541.401.4019. Seating is limited, so reservations are required.
To donate items, or for more information, contact Laurie Carlson at 541.401.3148 or email [email protected], or contact Brenda Winslow at 541.401.0816.
The decorated trees will be on display for public viewing from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. on the day of the event.
Albany Christmas Parlour Tour
Albany’s 45th annual Christmas Parlour Tour will be held from 2-7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, allowing participants to tour
Enjoy the sights and sounds of an old-fashioned holiday celebration through Albany’s nationally registered historic districts by touring beautifully decorated homes and other historic buildings that highlight architectural styles such as Queen Anne, mid-century modern, and craftsman.
Tickets are $15 and available online until the day before the tour at monteithhouse.org; click the
link under “Upcoming Events.” On the day of the tour, bring your e-receipt to the Albany Visitors
Association (AVA), 122 Ferry St. SW, and redeem it for a wristband and ticket, which includes a map and information about the homes. Both ticket and wristband are needed to enter the homes.
Tickets also will be available the day of the tour beginning at 1 p.m. at the AVA office; cash or
check only.
Visitors may tour the homes in any order they choose, ride the Albany Trolley to most of the sites or catch a ride on a horse-drawn wagon that will tour on a limited route, and enjoy refreshments at the Albany Regional Museum and Monteith House.
Visit other historic buildings, such as Whitespires Church, United Presbyterian Church,
the Downtown Carnegie Library (where visitors can take the chill off around the library’s
cozy fireplace), the Cumberland Community Center, and the Historic Carousel Museum.
Sign up at the Albany Regional Museum for a chance to win free tickets to the 2025 Summer Interior Homes Tour, which will be held Saturday, July 26, 2025.
For more information, contact the AVA at 541.928.0911, or email [email protected].
Women’s Group After 5
After 5 Connections will host “Joyful Sounds of Christmas,” a gift exchange and special program for women and men from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at Ma’s Restaurant 2416 S. Santiam Hwy., Lebanon.
The evening promises to be fun, food, and a traditional sing-a-long. The program will start with a buffet dinner, followed by festive Christmas carols. There will also be a creative Christmas story with audience participation in the “Right-Left” game; please bring a wrapped pair of fun socks for this gift exchange game.
Guest speaker this month will be Laura Loffredo, of Portland. She is a retired Chicago area bed and breakfast owner. Her specialty is dramatic re-enactments of famous people from long ago times. Come and be entertained by her acting talents.
Cost for dinner is $18; credit cards cannot be accepted.
To RSVP, contact Sherri at 541.258.6414, or Nancy at 541.259.1396 or by email at [email protected].
Fall Leaf Pick-Up
The City of Sweet Home’s annual fall leaf pick-up runs until Dec. 13.
Leaves need to be raked to the side of the street in a neat pile. Any piles that contain other debris such as sticks or animal waste will not be picked up – this is for leaves only.
To request a pick-up, email [email protected] or call 541.367.6359. Service may be requested as many times as needed during the program’s active period. Crews will get to the pile as soon as they are able based on their daily workload, and pickups will be scheduled from Monday to Friday of each week.
Mini Market
The 3rd Saturday Mini Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Nov. 16 and Dec. 21 at The Rez, 1621 53rd Ave., Foster.
Open every third Saturday of the month, vendors offer items such as sourdough bread, soaps, crafts, jewelry, cookies and wellness products.
Parade of Lights
The annual Parade of Lights will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, in downtown Sweet Home along Main and Long streets.
This year’s theme, “Sweet Lights & Ginger Delights,” celebrates the sweetness of Sugar City with a dazzling display of gingerbread and candy-themed floats. Get ready to light up the night with creativity and color.
Let your creativity sparkle by creating larger-than-life gingerbread figures and candyland scenes. For more information, and to register (a $10 fee), visit https://bit.ly/3Cqrt9V.
Participants are urged to: incorporate gingerbread and candy elements into the float, such as gingerbread houses, candy canes, gumdrops, lollipops, and candy swirls; use bright, colorful lighting with a minimum of 1,000 lights per float to ensure the gingerbread and candy designs shine in the nighttime parade; and use oversized props and costumes.
‘The Innkeepers’ Play
Playwright Satina Tolman brings back her nativity story, “The Innkeepers,” on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15, at the Sweet Home High School auditorium, 1641 Long St.
Immerse yourself in a mesmerizing journey as the innkeeper and his wife retell the nativity story from their unique perspective, a story that reminds us of the power of compassion, love and the true meaning of Christmas. With its captivating narrative, heartwarming characters and inspiring songs, “The Innkeepers” promises to be a must-attend event this holiday season.
Admission is free. Shows will be performed Saturday, Dec. 14, at 3-4:30 p.m. and 7-8:30 p.m., and on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3-4:30 p.m.
For more information and updates, visit the Facebook event page at Facebook.com/theinnkeeperssweethome. For inquiries or to become a sponsor, contact Satina via email at [email protected] or [email protected].
Bodacious Babes Craft Event
The Bodacious Babes Breast Cancer Committee will host a Holiday Craft & Vendor Event on Saturday, Dec. 14 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and Sunday, Dec. 15 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), at the high school activity gym, 1641 Long St.
A Bodacious Babes Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, in the Commons at Sweet Home High School, 1641 Long St.
The event is free. All are welcome to check out the plus-sized clothing, along with wares offered by home-based business vendors, handmade crafts and miscellaneous items.
Raffle prizes will be handed out and a 50/50 drawing will be held to support a local breast cancer event.
Pool’s ‘Santa Splash’ Event
The Sweet Home Community Pool will host a family rec swim event, “Santa Splash,” from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15, 1641 Long St.
In addition to swimming, there will be a hot cocoa station, the opportunity to create an ornament and/or snowflake, and a coloring station. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for photos.
Cost is $10 per child. Purchase tickets in advance at the pool; event is limited to the first 100 children, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Deliver for Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels of Sweet Home is in urgent need of volunteer drivers, delivering free meals to local seniors and disabled adults in the Sweet Home area.
Delivery days are Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. The role is best suited for people available in the mid-day, as meals go out at noon. Volunteers work one to two days a week for about 2.5 hours each shift.
Meals on Wheels is managed by Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments and operated by local volunteers. Volunteers package fresh meals in the kitchen and the drivers deliver them. Many local people count on this food as a primary source of nutrition.
For more information or to apply, stop by the Senior Center, email [email protected], or call 541.812.6015.
Donation Drive for Children
Mrs. Claus and The Elves Toy Workshop hosts a donation drive for the Sweet Home School Closet to help keep the school stocked with book bags, school supplies, hats, scarves, coats, gloves, etc. for change of weather now upon us for children in need. Donations can be dropped off at 925 Long St. Apt. 1.
Square Dance
Sweet Home Squarenaders will host square dance lessons on Sundays from 2:45-4:30 p.m. at the Foster Elementary School gym, 5526 Poplar St.
First two lessons are free; $5 per lesson thereafter. No partner required. Mainstream level for beginners. Graduation in January. For more information, contact Rod Stidham at 541.367.4939.
Volunteers, Donations Needed at Museum
East Linn Museum is seeking volunteers and items that are needed for the operation of the museum.
The museum needs volunteers for its operations to replace retiring volunteers. New volunteers are not required to know anything about the museum or how to operate a computer. The museum operates three days a week from Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Supplies needed by the museum include: copy paper, postage stamps, legal size envelopes, paper towels, toilet paper, glass cleaner, all purpose cleaner and Ajax.
For more information, call the museum at 541.367.4580.
Animal Rescue Volunteers Needed
Linn County Animal Rescue needs volunteers for its nonprofit work outside Lebanon. For those interested in a rewarding time spent with animals, consider joining LCAR which has horses, minis, cows, sheep and senior dogs. There are two shifts a day, morning and afternoon. Volunteers can work with the livestock or dogs, or both.
Donations and sponsorships are also welcomed. For more information, visit lcarhorse.org or call 541.258.3422.
Community Dinners
Sunshine Industries invites the public to a free dinner every Monday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at 1333 Clark Mill Road. Because everyone matters.