The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center is conveniently located in North Salem near I-5. With 4,000 square feet of Event Space, the Kroc Center facility can accommodate meetings and events for up to 300 guests. The Prayer Garden makes a beautiful setting for a small, intimate, outdoor wedding ceremony with its tranquil landscape and lighted water feature. The outdoor Amphitheater provides space to accommodate up to 250 guests and our indoor Chapel/Theater allows up to 288 guests. The Kroc Center offers full in-house catering with a variety of budget-friendly menus to suit your tastes.

Event space is situated in the Kroc Corps Community Center and is surrounded by 2 pools, a rock wall, gym and fitness center which makes for an ideal location to hold private group rentals including graduation lock-ins, team building workshops, family reunions and corporate retreats.

Please contact the Kroc Center’s Sales and Events Coordinator to schedule a tour 503.798.4842.

Kroc Center Amenities:

• 4,000 sq ft of banquet and meeting space
• Full service in-house catering, room set-up included, complimentary house linens, custom menus to reflect the style and needs of your event
• Chapel/Theater, Outdoor Amphitheater, Outdoor Prayer Garden, 2 Pools, 2 Birthday Party Rooms, Fitness Center, Aerobics Studio, Gymnasium, Computer Lab, and Library, with over 300 parking spaces available
• All rooms include projectors, projection screens and microphones
• Wireless internet and Audio/Visual support available

Kroc Center Awards:

• 2010 American Institute of Architects, Salem Chapter – Honor Award of Merit
• 2010 Recreation Management Innovative Design and Architecture Award
• 2010 Building of America Award
• 2010 Oregon Parks & Recreation Association Maintenance and Operations Award for Energy Savings Design
• Currently nominated for a 2011 Dream Design Award from Aquatics International

Kroc Corps Community Center - Salem Oregon

Pacific Perks now has handmade sorbet, gelato and custom ice cream available. New Season…More Choices!

Pacific Perks Gourmet Ice Cream Sundae Bar comes standard with chocolate and caramel sundaes topped, or blended, with candy mix ins of oreos, M&Ms and toffee. NOW you can add custom ice cream, sorbet or gelato as an option! Yummy!!

Pacific Perks - Your Personal Cafe

Check out some of these AMAZING Ice Cream flavors (and this is just a sample):
ALMOND TOFFEE FUDGE
Butter praline ice ream with toasted, diced almonds and crunchy almond toffee candy pieces

BASEBALL NUT
Banana ice cream with cashews and swirls of red raspberry

BEER
Yes, it might sound strange. But you won’t believe it when you taste it. Made with rich, dark Black Butte Porter, and swirled with thick and malty beer caramel.  Try it in a sundae, surrounded by little pretzel twists and caramel. Pacific Perks will even make the ice cream using your favorite micro brew.

CHOCOLATE SYMPHONY
Crunchy toffee pieces and toasted almonds in chocolate ice cream

LOCA-MOCHA- MOTION
Espresso ice cream with chunks of Oreos and chocolate chips

MARIONBERRY
Made with local marionberries

PEANUT BUTTER SURPRISE
Vanilla ice cream filled with big chunks of Oreos and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. YUMMY!

PEPPERMINT PATTY
Chunks of peppermint patties in chocolate ice cream

WHITE FUDGE RAPSBERRY
White chocolate ice cream with swirls of red raspberry

Over 125 ice cream and dozens of sorbet and gelato flavors to choose from.  Made locally here in Vancouver, Washington and sure to make you smile.  Custom flavors have an upcharge associated with them but we’re sure it will be worth it.

Give Pacific Perks a call to order 360.852.8542 (customizing flavors takes sometime to create).

Have you ever had that afternoon slump? Have you had trouble focusing during a full-day meeting? Many times food can be a contributor. Event planners and hotels are working carefully on creating menus that provide optimum “brain food” for meeting attendees. There have been many scientific studies on the effects that certain types of food have on mood, performance, and motivation.

It makes sense for planners to focus on keeping their attendees alert and attentive  throughout the day by providing food that balances blood sugar levels and doesn’t cause energy dips. Limit the amount of fat in the meals, even some meat causes the release of serotonin which calms people down. Think about it, you don’t want your attendees calm and relaxed when they are supposed to be learning new information.

Many large hotel chains have already started to offer better options. They are offering seasonal menus, fewer sugars and less fat. Many options include an “energy” break with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and  antioxidants.

As a planner for your event, think about what activities you want your attendees to engage in. Are they brainstorming and planning or celebrating a success?  Work with your caterer to develop meals that will align with your outcomes and not work against them. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste of  the food and the level of engagement of your attendees.

Source: Meetings & Conventions, June 2011

Many large hotels have

Many

The sun is finally out and the days are longer. Looking for something to do outside? Check out Portland Spirit River Cruises. They offer cruises on the Willamette River and the Columbia River departing from downtown Portland and you can do a lunch, dinner or brunch cruise with fresh Northwest cuisine. You can also step aboard the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler from Cascade Locks.

 Friday evenings are the perfect time to cruise on the river and listen to sounds from kink.fm. They have a summer concert series beginning in July. Check out the website for more information and to sign-up.

They have several different boats available for private events and weddings. You can see the options on the website or schedule a tour!

What a great way to spend a sunny day or evening.

Mary Lou’s second oldest son just graduated from high school this past week. They wanted to have a small gathering with family and close friends and not have to worry about planning the celebration.  With a simple phone call to Busy Bee Catering the menu was planned. They opted for a brunch theme and were treated to cinnamon rolls, scones, muffins, egg dishes and much more.

 Busy Bee Catering is located in Welches, Oregon and will deliver to your venue or you can pick up from their location. They have a large selection of appetizers, entrees, salads, vegetarian dishes and desserts. They also have barbeque!  Cafe Aria located in the Rendevous Plaza in Welches Oregon also stocks their pastries. They can be reached at busybeecatering@hotmail.com or 503.622.6743.

   Recently Mary Lou and Janey spent the day in Willamette Valley touring event spaces that are new to Bravo! Travel Salem is a great resource for meeting and event planners and pretty much anything happening in Salem can be found on their website. Debbie McCune graciously offered us the use of their conference room for our networking event on July 13th, check out TravelSalem.com for more information.

Willamette University is full of great event spaces both indoors and outdoors. They have small space available such as the Alumni Lounge up to large spaces such as the Hudson Concert Hall. They also offer Event Planning Services onsite to assist with any event needs. Willamette University’s food service must be catered by Bon Appétit, a premier on-site restaurant company. Bon Appétit is passionate about serving fresh, wholesome, delicious food, prepared from scratch, using the finest local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible.

Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry also has great meeting and event spaces. They have several locations available to hold meetings and offer a wide variety of event services to make your event successful.

Looking for a caterer for your next event? Busick Court offers catering and a restaurant facility. You can view menus online for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They offer over 24 appetizer and 17 entree selections. You don’t want to miss their Sunday Brunch!

If you are looking to catch a great meal, check out La Capitale, Salem’s casual French Bistro. They offer lunch and dinner and you can book your reservations online. They are located at 508 State Street in Salem.

Are you looking for place to hold your wedding or event that seems like it is out of city, but is not a far drive? Check out the Columbia River Gorge where there are venues that will fit any type of personality and event. On the North side of Mt Hood you will find Cooper Spur Resort. You can find intimate settings with beautiful views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainer. Cooper Spur offers onsite catering as part of their packages. Cabins, lodge rooms, condos and a log home are available for your choice of accomodations.

 Voted one of America’s top 100 day spas, Bonneville Hot Springs Resort offers open, airy meeting rooms filled with natural light and fully wired with high-speed Internet access. Their creative caterers can design tantalizing coffee breaks or banquet dinners. Arrange for team-building outings such as whitewater rafting, rock climbing, or a round of golf. Treat clients and colleagues to a long overdue escape from boring Portland meeting space. Bonneville Resort offers 1500 sq. ft. of meeting space and an outdoor terrace perfect for cocktail parties or dinners. 

 Bigfoot-Lodge is a one of a kind custom built hand crafted log lodge with million dollar    views of Mt.Hood and the Hood River Valley from every room. It is situated on 63 acres in the forest with all kinds of wildlife. Bigfoot-Lodge has become a preferred stay in the gorge by many executives/groups vacationing, sponsoring events, receptions, family reunions, retreats, business meetings, and more. It is close to the Hood River marina/beach, hatchery, stores, restaurants, lakes, golf, skiing, wineries, breweries, museums, sightseeing, and all the other fantastic fun in one of the worlds premiere playgrounds right hear in the Columbia River Gorge.

 The Gorge White House is an elegant casual setting in the heart of the Hood River Valley  with commanding views of Mt Hood, Mt Adams and the valley’s east hills. Located just 4 miles south of Hood River on the Mt Hood Scenic Byway, The Gorge White House is a historic home on a century old working farm. 

Their 100 year old home serves as the tasting room and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. It is impeccably restored to its original grandeur. The patio gardens provide a beautiful, fragrant setting.  Guests will have use of all of the facilities including the farm stand, gardens, fields, patio and tasting room.

 Stonehedge Gardens offers beautiful terraces for weddings and events that are flexible for all sizes of events. The grotto offers a waterfall, 10,000 feet of grass, a wedding stage in stone with tuscan pillars and a reception terrace. The new bridal cottage tucked away in the wooded area offers a great place to relax before the ceremony. Stonehedge also offers full-service catering for any size of event.

Check out the Columbia River Gorge Visitors Association for more information on these venues and everything that the beautiful gorge has to offer visitors.

 Check back tomorrow to learn about more great venues in the Columbia Gorge Area!

I recently had the opportunity to visit the new location of West Coast Event Productions. They have moved their location to the waterfront, 1466 NW Naito Parkway where they have a fantastic view! Their warehouse is filled with props, linens, dishware, tables & chairs and much more! They have a product catalog online to make selecting items easy.

West Coast has merged with Shaka-sound and will now be able to provide top quality sound at weddings and events. They are able to provide great sound for your event using professional equipment.

They will also be unveiling a new type of romantic/glittery style drape that is new to the area. The drape will be designed inhouse and will bring your event to the next level.

West Coast prides itself on its artists they have on staff. They can help clients build their dream event.

Contact them at here or at 503.294.0412 to get started planning your wedding or event.

Stay tuned for more information on the Grand Opening to be scheduled mid-August.

The Aerie at Eagle Landing

June 19th, 2011 – 11am to 3pm

Enjoy a beautiful day on the golf course with Dad.

Join them for our second annual Father’s Day Pig Roast from 11am to 3pm. Want to make sure you get in on this bbq? RSVP your info and pay for your meal down below to make sure they save you a seat and some grub!

Planning on playing Par 3?  Call to book your tee time (503)698-7888.

Going to test your skills on the mini golf course? Just come on out, no tee time needed unless you have a large group. Give them a heads up by calling the same number above.

BBQ Menu & Pricing:

Spit Roasted Pulled Pork
Burgers
Veg Burgers
Mac -n- Cheese
Corn on the Cob
Potato Salad

$11.00 for kids & adults

Register here!

 Wings & Waves Waterpark  is set to open on Monday, June 6th 2011.  It is an educational waterpark that will include 10 waterslides, a wave pool and a children’s museum dedicated to teaching students about the power of water.  The space features almost 70,000 sq.ft. of educational fun complete with the Evergreen International Aviation B747-100 aircraft that rests on top of the building.  The waterpark will be open from 10am-8pm daily and features a cafe and rented rooms for birthday parties.