Clatskanie Cultural Center celebrates centennial April 18-19

The Clatskanie Cultural Center (75 S. Nehalem Street) will celebrate its centennial Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19, with a weekend full of activities. Constructed in 1926 by the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), the Clatskanie IOOF Hall was a vital meeting place for residents with dances, exercise classes, meetings, movies, live performances, and much more. Following its restoration and reopening in 2015 by the Clatskanie Foundation, the Clatskanie Cultural Center has once again become the vibrant meeting place it once was.

The two-day event kicks off Saturday, April 18, with both a welcome and tours of the Clatskanie Cultural Center by Clatskanie Foundation members from 1-2:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and music will be provided by pianist Clark Mallory in the Ballroom.

Thanks to the support of the Columbia County Cultural Coalition, a performance by Timberbound will take place in the Birkenfeld Theatre at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The music and stories will celebrate loggers, fishermen, musicians, and sawmill workers who lived in Northwest Oregon, including an original piece titled “Boys of Columbia County.”

On Sunday, April 19, tours of the building will resume from 1-1:45 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and music will be provided by the CMHS Jazz Band under the direction of Jaime Erwin in the Ballroom. Welcoming remarks will be given from 2-2:45 p.m., followed by a brief overview of the IOOF by Grand Master Francis Kuper, the story of the restoration by Foundation President Deborah Hazen, and the unveiling of the Ballroom name.

A performance by the Community/CMHS choirs under the direction of Jaime Erwin, will take place at 3 p.m. The group will be performing songs of the past 100 years with historical commentary by local historian Deborah Hazen.

In celebration of the building’s 100 years of service to the community, the Clatskanie Foundation is restoring a marquee to the exterior facade. Admission to this special, two-day event is free. Donations to the Marquee Project are encouraged. More information will be available at the Centennial Celebration or by contacting Elsa Wooley by email at elsawooley1@gmail.com or by phone at 503-338-9770.