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Reality Superstars Visit Washington County, Oregon, for a Two-Day Celebrity Benefit and Golf Tournament

September 1st, 2009 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan

Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, located in North Plains, Ore., has hosted various tournaments, including professional, amateur and charity games.

Washington County, Oregon, will be in the spotlight September 13-14, as stars from various cable television reality series join the Roloff Family, stars of the TLC series “Little People Big World,” for the Amy Roloff Charity Foundation’s first ever charity golf benefit and tournament.

Along with the Roloff family, special celebrity guests* scheduled to attend include:

• Crew from “Time Bandit” from the Discovery Channel’s series Deadliest Catch
• Cast of TLC’s “Orange County Choppers”
• JM Browning and other stars from the History Channel’s series “Ax Men”
• Alex Eusebio, a contestant from season five of “Top Chef,” which airs on Bravo
• AC Green, three-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion
• Michael Harper, former NBA player and Portland Trailblazer

*Celebrity appearances are subject to change

The event launches with a “tee-off” dinner and auction at Roloff Farms, followed by a golf scramble and dinner the following day at Pumpkin Ridge’s Ghost Creek golf course. All proceeds will benefit the Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA) and local organization Bridge Meadows.

The Roloff Family owns and operates the Roloff Family Farm, located in Helvetia, Ore. The series, “Little People, Big World” debuted March 2006 on Discovery Network’s TLC, and the fifth season is scheduled to premiere this fall. The farm, which has gained national attention since the reality series started airing, is open to the public each October for its annual pumpkin patch and harvest festivities.

For additional information about the Amy Roloff Charity Foundation’s charity golf benefit, visit www.amyroloffcharityfoundation.org.

Tags: Golf, Helvetia, North Plains, Pumpkin Ridge, Roloff Farms, washington county
Posted in Events, Golf | No Comments »

Sights and Smells from the Oregon Lavender Festival 2009

July 14th, 2009 by Heather Anderson

Distilling lavender at Mountainside Lavender Farm

More than 20 lavender farms throughout the state opened their doors during the annual Oregon Lavender Festival. And what a weekend for this annual fest to explore the many lavender farms of  Washington County!  During the festival you can tour lavender farms, nurseries, and celebrate with a lavender-based Artisan Fair.

First we headed out to Mountainside Lavender Farm in Scholls, which has amazing views of the Cascade Mountains. There was a good-sized crowd at the farm, who were enjoying some live classic folk music while shopping the booths featuring local artisans and lavender products.

The kids really got a kick out of picking their own lavender (“U-pick” farms make for a great distraction for younger ones).  The fresh-picked flowers are now proudly displayed on my kitchen counter. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to participate in the various ‘classes’, such as bouquet arrangement, wand and wreath making. We did have time, however, to catch a live demonstration on how lavender is distilled into oil.

Next up, was Helvetia Lavender Farm, in Helvetia, which overlooks the scenic Tualatin Valley. The farm was abundant with activity -  people were in the u-pick fields, visiting artisan booths and enjoying tea time on the deck. We made a stop by the kids’ craft area, where we made paper lavender cards. The visit was accentuated with live music from a local country/folk musician singing fun songs that left us in stitches.

The highlight of the day, as the kids will tell you, was the zip-line, where they swung through the tree lines.  How cool is that??!!

Great turnout this year, here’s to the next one!

Helvetia Lavender Farm

Helvetia Lavender Farm - Tea Party!

Weeeeeeeeeee!!!

Tags: agriculture, Arts & Culture, Events, Family Fun, farms, Helvetia, Helvetia Lavender Farm, Mountainside Lavender Farm, Scholls, washington county oregon
Posted in Arts & Culture, Events, Seasonal Fun | 2 Comments »