May is when the annual "UFO Festival" in McMinnville is celebrated. This is the second-largest UFO festival in the nation after the one held in Roswell, New Mexico. The McMinnville UFO festival began in 1999 – and was a way to honor the 1950 sighting where two local citizens witness and photographed a UFO. The photos were printed in Life magazine by Paul and Evelyn Trent at their farm outside of McMinnville. On June 8, 1950, Powell's story of the incident—accompanied by the two photos—was published as a front-page story in the McMinnville Telephone-Register. The headline read: "At Long Last—Authentic Photographs Of Flying Saucer. This year they celebrated their 25th Festival. To learn more about this event please visit: ufofest.com. In 1974, the National UFO reporting center was established in Davenport Washington. This is a non-governmental, non profit organization registered in Washington State. Additional sightings continued to be reported – such as the sighting of a UFO over East Salem reported in January 1979 as reported by multiple residents to the Capitol Journal, who said they saw a round glowing object with red flashing lights, hovering in the sky. If you want to learn more about the National UFO reporting center please visit: https://nuforc.org/

April is World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM). Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver practiced landscape architecture together in Salem, Oregon, from 1929 to the 1969. Their firm was the first office of professional women landscape architects on the West Coast.

In Salem, the Lord and Schryver Conservancy works to ensure the home gardens designed by Elisabeth Lord and Edith Schryver are maintained.

To learn more:

Read the Book: “Northwest Gardens of Lord and Schryver”

Visit Lord and Schryver Conservancy: lordschryver.org

New in 2025: Drop by and enjoy Gaiety Hollow Garden at on Wednesdays 10-4 (May thru September).

Watch the Video “Women of Mission”. This video explores the lives of four of Salem's most interesting women: Elizabeth Lord, Edith Schryver, Sally Bush, and Alice Brown. Salem's garden and parks wouldn't be the same without the influence of these important women.

On April 5th we celebrated our 7th annual Qing Ming Festival. Qing Ming is an annual celebration where we honor the Chinese who have lived and worked in our community. This year Salem’s Mayor, Julie Hoy read the Qing Ming Proclamation and swept the Chinese community funerary table at Pioneer’s Cemetery – and also shared her connection of a relative of hers, to Helen Ng Mun Tayne, who was born here in Salem. Helen’s father had come to Salem from China in 1879, and he became a hop grower. Helen Ng Mun Tayne was born on a hop ranch not too far away from Salem’s Pioneer Cemetery on 28 April 1906. Helen served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAC) throughout WWII. After the war, Helen continued to serve and she officially retired from the U.S. Army in 1964 as a Chief Warrant Officer 3, after more than 20 years of service. After Helen’s death in 1967 she was buried in Salem’s Pioneer cemetery near her family. Helen’s grave marker is one of four matching family stones that stand in a neat row not too far from the Chinese funerary table. To learn more about her life, and to see a picture please visit: https://www.willametteheritage.org/commemorating-the-life-of-cw3-helen-ng-mun-tayne/