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WindFest kicks off the first week of June and runs through Labor Day weekend.  Click on the calendar for a list of events.  Events are held at the east end of the Port of Siuslaw boardwalk.

The Port will host kid and adult activities each weekend. Events are planned for every Friday and Saturday and most Sundays.  Events, performances, demonstrations and classes will take place on the beautiful Florence boardwalk in Florence, Oregon.

For kids, WindFest will include Pirate Days, tours on Coast Guard Boats, Smokey the Bear, presentations from local marine biologists, ODFW, clam and crabbing with Bill Lackner, dance contests, and Frontier Days.

For adults, WindFest will include live music on the boardwalk, every Saturday night from 6pm to 9pm, including performances by Paul Biondi, Tommy Hogan, JJ Camo, the Weekenders.  Additional events include wine and spirits tastings, Aztec Dancers, a car show, and more.

Florence has a beautiful old town with many fine restaurants and galleries. The town sits on the Siuslaw River along the Oregon coast. The travel website Expedia recently named Florence America’s most beautiful small town.

Says Port Manager Steven Leskin, “This summer’s WindFest should be a lot of fun for families. There is something for everyone. Florence is beautiful (and windy) in the summer. There will be lots to do. The boardwalk setting is perfect for enjoying a glass of wine from a local winery or enjoying live music on the river with the sun setting in the background or watching a kids dance contest. Plus, it’s rumored that staff have surprised events planned.”

The Port of Siuslaw RV Park is running a special promotion. Receive one half off your last night’s stay at the Port of Siuslaw campground or RV Park when you mention “WindFest” at registration.

All events are free and open to the public. A suggested donation to the evening concerts is two cans of food for the Florence Food Bank.

The Florence Boardwalk is located at the corners of Bay and Nopal Streets. For more information, call (541) 997 3040.

At a public meeting on May 9th, the Budget Committee of the Port of Siuslaw approved the proposed budget for FY16-17.  General Manager Steven Leskin opened the meeting by presenting the budget and reading the Budget Statement.  Commissioner Mike Buckwald was appointed the Budget President and lead the meeting.  After reviewing each page of the budget, the committee unanimously approved the FY16-17 Budget in the amount of $1,463,000 and the property tax rate of $0.1474 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The proposed budget can be viewed on this web site under Administration, Business Plans and Budgets.

A hard copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained the Port Office at 100 Harbor St, Florence, OR 97439, between the hours of 9:00am to 5:0opm.

The Port of Siuslaw has closed the beach areas to the east of the RV Park.  The December 2015 storms damaged the shore banks to the south of the RV Park. The area above the banks have been barricaded since January. Steven Leskin, the General Manager of the Port, now believes the bank is sufficiently unsafe to allow guests and visitors down to the river. Says Leskin, “There is significant erosion to the shore bank. This bank will require extensive repairs and renovation to prevent further loss of land. In the interim, we need to close the area. This is a necessary step to protect public safety in this area. The Port will have the beaches open as soon as possible. At this point, it is unknown when that will be.” 

The Port has retained a maritime engineer to assist with repairs to the shore-bank. The current plan is to bio engineer a solution. Bio-engineering consists of using natural material, such as vegetation, grasses and logs to repair shore bank instability. It is not harmful to aquatic life, is easier to have permitted by the state, and is considered a permanent solution. The other option would be to place rip rap, i.e., large rocks, along the shore and down into the river. Rip rap is disfavored by state regulators.

The Port is in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA has inspected the eroding shore bank twice since February. FEMA has federal grant money available to repair areas damaged in the December 2015 storms. There is also grant money available to prevent this type of damage from happening in the future.

Reports are coming in that fishing is picking up and crabbing is good!  When the fishing boats are in, fresh tuna is for sale on the docks.  Campground and Marina spots are filling up fast.  Reserve now!

Following interviews for the Position #3 vacancy, the Board of Commissioners offered the seat to Mike Buckwald from Mapleton.  Mr. Buckwald has accepted the offer and will be sworn in as Port Commissioner at the 15 July 2015 meeting at 7pm.

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Port of Siuslaw was held on May 4, 2015 at 5:30pm.  Three port commissioners and four members of the public made up the seven member committee in attendance.  After hearing the budget message, there was a public hearing where no public comment was received.   After review of the budget and financial reports, the committee voted unanimously to approve the proposed budget for fiscal year starting July 1, 2015.  Pending a decision by the board to raise rates at the May 20th board meeting, this budget will be presented at the June 17th board meeting for adoption.  A copy of the budget document is posted on this website.