Foothills Ranch, Silver Falls State Park

Celebration Party

Ceremony

Camping

July 3-5, 2026

Free camping available at the venue Friday evening until Sunday Morning. See "Where to Stay" for more details.

Got other questions?  Contact Lori or Chris!

Our Celebration

Click to fill out the form below to RSVP yes or no!

<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQucrG7gbpM0ntmVE4OkDBTqdsui_vKlwou9p06818o7jJEQ/viewform?usp=header" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Please RSVP by filling out this form</a>

RSVP HERE

Lori and Chris love Oregon and want to show it off to our friends and celebrate our commitment to one another in the beauty that fills our backyard and our hearts. We’re also not getting married; instead we are becoming registered domestic partners. Nor are we having any kind of a ceremony; we’re quietly trading vows on our own time (at the top of an old growth tree!) and filling out paperwork before hand. This event is where we all get together for the best part: to celebrate our commitment with our friends and family. So, please come and join our party!

Our Story

Schedule of Events for the weekend

If you can only come for a few hours, plan to come on Saturday around 4pm til evening for drinks, dinner, and the main part of the celebration. We'll be celebrating all weekend; join for some or all of the below. FRIDAY [All day] Supported bike ride from Portland to the park (departing morning, arriving late afternoon)[All day] see “Things to Do” section for activities at or near the park. In the moderately nearby town of Silverton, there are restaurants, and grocery stores.[4pm] Venue opens for us. There will be lawn games and “party style” board games, a crafting area, and some kids' activities provided from this point forward. We’ll put out snacks and grill dinner for everyone who’s out at the venue. We’ll also have beer and wine to drink starting at this point.[10pm-] quiet hours start, no generators nor amplified music or shouting. Campfire acoustic sing-alongs allowed and encouraged. SATURDAY [8amish til 10ish] we’ll serve some breakfast. We will likely ask for your help in cooking/cleaning up if you wanna eat this meal 🙂[noonish] We'll have sandwich makings available in the main space[until 4pm] see "Things to Do" for nearby activities. There will be lawn games and “party style” board games, a crafting area, and some kids' activities at the event space, if you want to hang out in company. [4:30pm-10pm] if you can only come for a short part of the weekend, this is the part to come for - the main event. [4:30pm-6pm] bar is open, snacks served[6-730pm] catered dinner[730-10pm] toasts, cupcakes, celebration[10pm-] quiet hours start, no generators or amplified music or shouting. Party will continue for a bit in acoustic mode; campfire sing-alongs allowed and encouraged. Sunday [8ish til 9ish] we’ll serve some simple breakfast. We will likely ask for your help in cooking/cleaning up if you wanna eat this meal 🙂[9-10a] pack up and leave. We would appreciate your help in cleaning up if you are willing.[10a] bike riders depart for Portland.

Schedule

You can stay on-site

There are several options for staying at the state park. Camping: Free! Bring your own tent. You’ll be within a couple hundred yards of the party with 24x7 access to indoor plumbing. Bunkhouse in the main space: Also free! Bring your own bed linens for a single bunk bed. There is indoor plumbing in the building. Please Note that it is ONE HUGE ROOM so you’ll want earplugs and probably an eye mask - since you’ll be trying to sleep while others nearby are not.) Limited RV parking (no hookups). Also free! Showers are available down the road by the main campgrounds. Limited rustic cabins for the first few folks who contact us (bathroom in a separate building, bring your own bed linens). Some small cost to you. Contact us for details. First asked, first served.

Off-site hotel options

15 miles: The town of Silverton is the closest place you could likely find commercial accommodation. It’s only got a handful of places to stay, so book early if you want to stay here. 25 miles: The city of Salem is slightly further and has copious lodging options. You probably don’t need to pre-reserve very far in advance to stay here.

Where to Stay

I’m coming from out of town, how should I get to the area? If you’re flying, the nearest major airport is Portland, Oregon (PDX). You could alternatively take the Amtrak train into Salem. You can drive directly to the venue, but please note that parking will be limited so consider trying to carpool. (There is an option on the RSVP form to indicate interest and we'll help get you in touch with others who are also interested). Once you're in Portland, the venue is about an hour and a half’s drive from the airport and there isn’t any transit that will take you there, so you’ll need to drive or get a ride. Inside of the park, where is the event happening? Our event is at <a href="https://visitsilverfalls.com/foothills-ranch/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Foothills Ranch</a> which is about 3 miles from the park's visitor center. There will be some on site parking right at the venue, but if that fills up, please stop into the main ranch building (the event venue), to pick up a parking pass (or, just pay for day parking), and park by the visitor center. <a href="https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&amp;load=_siteFiles/publications//2024-silver-falls-map-board-web.103937.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Here's a map of the park</a>; the Ranch is near the middle of the map. Cell coverage at the park is unreliable, so download the map before you go, or stop at the visitor center to get directions. What is there to eat at the Park or Nearby? We'll serve Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast/lunch/snacks/dinner, and Sunday breakfast at the ranch. See the Schedule section of the website for timing. The market &amp; grill near the park's visitor center at Smith Creek will be open during the days for the only other nearby option.

Venue details

Getting to the Venue

Optional: biking to the event

Driving to Silver Falls

Optional Group Ride to Silver Falls

Many folks are biking to the venue from Portland on Friday, July 3rd. There is no requirement that you bike! Most people will drive! Here are some details about the group bike ride. It’s a fairly long and strenuous bike ride - about 70 miles with over 4000 feet of climbing. Still interested? Read on! We’ll provide some facilities to help you enjoy the ride safely: We will meet up at the start and there will be a support vehicle that can carry your bags to and from the venue - no need to schlep your tent and sleeping bag all the way on your bike. (Do make sure you keep what you need during the ride as far as tools, clothing changes, snacks, etc!) There is cell phone service most of the way and you’ll have a number to call if you need rescue - in case you need to switch from riding a bike to being driven in, for whatever reason. But, if you’re not comfortable with a ride of this distance and type, you should probably plan to drive or carpool instead. Support crew will provide some snacks at a rest stop during the most strenuous part of the ride, and the town of Canby with a large grocery store is at mile 25. We also recommend stopping in Silverton (the nearest town to the venue, which is on the route around mile 50) to refuel one more time. Here’s a <a href="https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41373066" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">link to a detailed sample route</a>. If you indicate interest in biking with the group when you RSVP, we'll add you to an email list for further discussion. The ride will be setting out from the location where the bag drop is located, near downtown Portland! You can express interest without committing to get on the email list if you're not sure yet. We’ll meet on the morning of 3 July and the ride will take much of the day. Friday dinner will be provided on site (as will all meals until Sunday morning). Most folks will ride back on Sunday and we’ll again have a support vehicle and carry your bags back to the start point if you like. On Sunday, you’ll be on your own for food, again Silverton and Canby are your ⅓ and ⅔ of the way stops with services. Or maybe you’ll be carrying leftovers from the party? Please make sure you have the route downloaded, and the support vehicle phone numbers with you! While we will set out together and ride the same route, we will not ride the entire way as a tight bunch and if you are slower or faster than the others, you may end up on your own. So, you need to be prepared to navigate on your own and/or summon help as needed!

Bike Ride to Silver Falls

Visiting from out of town? Here are some recommended activities nearby which you could check out before or after the event. <a href="https://visitsilverfalls.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Silver Falls State Park</a> is a beautiful nature preserve featuring old growth trees, waterfalls, hiking, and mountain biking trails. You’re welcome to enjoy any/all of these activities over the weekend, but there won’t be any organized group outings except what you create. Some folks will be hanging out at the event venue all day. We’ll provide some lawn games, party-style board games, crafting materials and some kids' activities for folks who are so inclined. You won't be lonely even if you don't feel like going anywhere! Feel free to bring your own games to share. It is likely that folks will hang out around the campfire after the end of the “official” part of the party (DJ + catering on saturday afternoon). If you’re looking for more/different things to do, and are willing to drive a bit further afield, here are some suggestions: <a href="https://oregongarden.org/welcometothegarden/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oregon gardens</a> (a cute botanical garden in nearby Silverton) The towns of Sisters and Bend are about 2 hours away and are fun places to visit if you don’t want to do things in the Portland area. The Oregon Coast (also about 2 hours away) is beautiful in the summer! If you haven’t seen it, you really should. Oregon wine country - there are over a hundred vineyards within 30 minutes drive of the park. Crater Lake National Park is about a 4.5 hour drive away. It’s scenic, but best for driving around rather than hiking. Mt. Hood is a nearby tall mountain with many outdoor recreational opportunities, and some cute towns nearby (Government Camp, Rhododendron). The Columbia River is the nearby border between Washington and Oregon, and the gorge it has carved is really pretty, and features a ton of nifty outdoor recreational opportunities. One in particular worth recommending is a very <a href="https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/scenic-drives/the-historic-columbia-river-highway/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scenic drive on the Historic Columbia River Highway</a> that showcases quite a few waterfalls within just a few miles. The hikes to viewpoints for these waterfalls are generally very short and many are even handicap accessible / visible from the parking lot. The city of Portland has many things to do and see, and few are in the category of “outdoor recreation”. Restaurants, nightlife, museums, various arts, bookstores and breweries abound! Portland is also the home of several sporting goods empires like Nike, Columbia, and Adidas which have company stores in town. The city of Salem, while closer to the venue and somewhat sizable, is less of a tourist destination. While Portland has a few professional sports teams (Trailblazers basketball, Timbers men’s soccer, Thorns women’s soccer), none will be playing very close to our event date.

Things to Do

Wear whatever you will be comfortable in; there is no dress code. Lori and Chris will dress up a little bit, so you also won't be out of place if you want to show off your fancy dress or suit. Note that no matter what you wear, you probably want practical shoes since you will be walking through a gravel parking lot and potentially out in a grassy field. It probably won't get very cold until nighttime, so you may want to bring shorts for the afternoon or a sweater for the evening. <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/silverton/97381/weather-forecast/340255" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Check the weather for Silverton, Oregon </a>closer to the event date for more specific guidance. We'll have a changing room space if you want to bring a couple of options and pick once you've arrived. If you are going to sleep in the rustic cabins or bunkhouse, please bring a sleeping bag and pillow as there are beds but no linens nor pillows provided. If you are going to be there for more of the weekend than just the party on saturday night, we'd appreciate it if you brought reusable plate/cup/silverware to keep waste down. But - if you can't or forget, we'll have some on hand to loan.

What to wear/bring

We ask you to only bring yourselves and what you need to be comfortable; we already have a full house with all of the things we need and do not want any gifts. Your presence is your present to us! If you insist on making some direct show of your affection, please make a donation to the <a href="https://cej-oregon.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lawyers' Campaign for Equal Justice</a> We'll provide meals from Friday evening until Sunday morning as long as you RSVP'd that you'd join us during those times. The market &amp; grill near the visitor center at Smith Creek (in the park) will also be open during the day and has wifi as well as food. Fireworks are prohibited in Silver Falls State Park, which makes it a good option for pets who are sensitive to the sounds of things exploding. Dogs are welcome at our event, with some caveats. The Park requires that animals be on a leash or under control at all times. Note that there is no fenced area at the venue and it will be too hot to leave pets in the car! So, if your puppy will do OK on a leash, they are more than welcome to join us. While we are both cat people, we don’t recommend bringing your kitty to this party.

Lori Anne & Chris

Lori Anne & Chris

RSVP HERE

Click to fill out the form below to RSVP yes or no!