Seaside’s annual Tourism Grant Program awarded $50,000 in funding to seven different organizations for the 2019-2020 fiscal cycle.

Here are the events and attractions the Tourism Advisory Committee funded and what that will mean for Seaside as a destination.

Fourth of July Fireworks. While this holiday can certainly inspire bad behavior in some, it’s also one of the busiest periods of the year for hotels, restaurants, shops, and — well — literally every inch of Seaside. The Chamber of Commerce project manages Seaside’s fireworks display, which is one of the largest and most-impressive in the state and along the coast. Thanks to the impressive dedication of Public Works, police, fire, and countless citizens and volunteers, the vast majority of visitors to Seaside during the Fourth of July holiday leave with a new or renewed love for all this community offers.

Pickleball Tournament. Now in its second year, the Beaches & Breakers Pickleball Classic holds a lot of promise for developing into a regular staple for Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District. A cross between tennis and ping-pong, Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. The tournament promises to bring approximately 100 players (plus their families and fans) to Seaside for a three-day weekend in April 2020.

Jump Rope Tournament. This grant program is a longtime supporter of the Tsunami Skippers jump rope team and this year is no different. We’d encourage anyone to attend the April 2020 Oregon Coast Classic, the only jump rope competition in Oregon. Look for teams from California and Idaho to join this year.

Halloween Happenin’s. Seaside Downtown Development Association puts on this annual family-friendly event spread across a holiday week in October 2019. From games and craft stations at downtown businesses to a haunted surrey contest and parade, this event — as always — promises to be a memorable time for visitors and residents alike.

Jazz Festival. After 35 years, the 2018 Seaside Jazz Festival was the last… or so we thought. Three industrious souls have formed a committee to explore bringing back the jazz festival in February 2020 in response to the universal feeling that something was just not quite right without the festival this year. In order to build a stable foundation for future developments, the committee will limit venues and scale back to two full days instead of four. Small steps to big things.

Salt Makers. In that sweet spot between high summer and our spectacular fall, the Seaside Museum & Historical Society will host several living history interpreters at the south Prom to re-enact the salt-making camp of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Free and open to the general public, this September 2019 event rounds out a busy weekend in Seaside with the Wheels and Waves Car Show downtown.

Mountain Bike Trails. If you get a chance to hear the all-volunteer North Coast Trail Alliance discuss their vision for the Klootchy Creek trail system, don’t miss it. They’re building an all-skill, all-season mountain biking attraction in the hills above Seaside that will eventually connect the city to Klootchy Creek via Twin Peaks. The trails are poised to become an especially significant draw to serious mountain bikers in the winter and early spring when inland trails are snowed out. According to available data, mountain bikers average $491 in local spending for just a weekend biking trip.

Complete details on the grant program are available at www.SeasideOR.com/tourism-grant-program and the application window for the next cycle will open in early 2020.

Got a tourism-related comment or question? I’d love to hear from you. Write me at jheineman@cityofseaside.us.