I grew up in rural Southern Oregon, our five-acre farm was a half hour away from the closest town which was Grants Pass, OR. It wasn’t until I moved away did I recognize the cultural uniqueness this small town carried. Downtown Grants Pass, lined with its artistic details from buildings first established in the 1800’s, hosts a handful of events throughout the year: Boatnik, Saturday Farmers Market, Concerts in the Park, Art Along the Road, Bearfest and First Friday Art Nights. However, even on quiet weekday nights, like the one I videoed, the small town welcomes you to explore in its comforting atmosphere.
The river town promotes the outdoors as well as unique, antique stores surrounded by a plethora of coffee shops. Statistically speaking, Grants Pass has 1 coffee shop per 900 people; I was interested to find if the small town had more to offer than just good coffee?
Signs claimed the Rogue Valley is the next Napa Valley and micro-brews filled brick buildings which reminisced of times passed. The twinkling, decorative lights glided from one tree to the next as the sun set. The fresh smell of sweet dogwood flowers drifted towards me and was accompanied by distant laughter from residents enjoying company and good times. I passed the iconic “It’s the Climate” sign, first hung in 1920, it hangs in central downtown Grants Pass. I visited the 17-foot tall Caveman statue, the mascot of Grants Pass, as it welcomed people to the north end of town. This small town is perfect for a laid-back date night, or a cultural adventure on your own (just like I did), nonetheless Grants Pass shares enjoyable views and delicious eateries to all.
Dubbed the historical district, my GoPro tagged along as I experienced the culture of Grants Pass and the sites it offered. Art has filled the entire downtown district, as the weather warms and the days become longer, I highly recommend an evening spent absorbing the unique culture it provides.
…And maybe even sipping a cup of coffee while you’re at it.
Below is a link to the short video I created which summarizes my evening in Grants Pass. Hope it gives you all ideas to where you would like to visit!
CLICK HERE!! GoPro Video Summarizing Grants Pass Culture
Art Around the Rogue 