Skip to content

Seaside Stories

A Tradition of Tea

December 8, 2016 | by

Seaside has a 26 year tradition it loves to share with visitors. Those in town for the holiday season are invited to step back in time for Gingerbread Tea. Butterfield Cottage, a fully restored example of the classic Seaside beach cottage, is transformed for guests into a home celebrating a Victorian Christmas. There are garlands and wreaths, gingerbread homes and tinsel, all on display.

Gingerbread Tea is an annual fundraiser for the Seaside Museum & Historical Society, a group whose passion is collecting, preserving and interpreting materials that are illustrative of Seaside’s rich history. Those buying tickets for Gingerbread Tea ($5 adults, $3 children) receive free admission to the museum located next door. Butterfield Cottage is part of the museum and represents a vibrant part of Seaside’s History. Built by Horace Seely Butterfield, a prominent Portland jeweler in 1893, the home was originally located at 21 North Columbia which happens to be the present location of the Seaside Candyman. In 1984 the Cottage was given to the Historical Society and moved to its present location at 570 Necanicum Drive.

Stop in any Saturday between Thanksgiving and Christmas from 1-4 p.m. to see the cottage all dressed up. Be enveloped by the heady spices of the season as you dine on treats like warm gingerbread and homemade cookies. Sip tea, cocoa or cider and listen to the sounds of live musical instruments as they fill the cottage with sounds of the season. Musicians this year include the North Coast Ukulele Strummers and Linda Nielsen, a popular performer from other Seaside events. Also, if you want to take a memento home with you, enter the raffle for one of many prizes to be awarded – including several gingerbread houses. For just $1 per ticket ($5 for 8 tickets), you’ll be entered to win a prize in a drawing held December 17 at 4 p.m. You need not be present to win.

If you are in town for the holidays, we highly recommend this chance for you to be steeped in Seaside history while escaping the hustle and bustle of the season. While you are there, take a few reflective moments to remember Seaside as it was, a quiet coastal escape for those in the cities. Not so different from Seaside today, is it? See the Calendar of Events for upcoming dates of Gingerbread Tea.

 

 

and so much more!

Seaside Without A Car

If you’ve visited Seaside in the past, you’ve likely come by car. You can come to this part of the Oregon Coast by airplane vi...

Learn More
A Seagull’s View

Aerial shot of Seaside Oregon from the 1920s

Learn More
How to Start Cycling In Seaside

Few places in the Pacific Northwest are as primed for pedal-powered exploration as Seaside. I should know since I’ve ridden abou...

Learn More
Times of Change…

Seasons of change in nature and life.

Learn More
Destinations Magazine: Great Escapes

Vacations are the “great escapes we need,” says Destinations magazine, “to relax, recharge and rejuvenate oursel...

Learn More
King Tides Safety and Viewing in Seaside

King Tides on Oregon’s North Coast (photo by Don Frank) ** Story updated for the 2022/2023 King Tides ** King Tides come eac...

Learn More
Seaside Civic and Convention Center

The benefits and joys of life in our small coastal community are many. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, done it all and start thinking about heading to the big city you’re reminded that the Seaside Civic and Convention Center brings you the best of all possible worlds and you can stay right here

Learn More
Knights of Summer: Seaside’s Lifeguarding Tradition

Seaside has had a rich lifeguard tradition for almost 100 years.

Learn More
View from the Hotel Seaside

A view from the old Hotel Seaside in the mid 1920s

Learn More
Beach + Burrito, A Love Story

What better way to enjoy the Oregon Coast than with a warm and savory, affordable and portable burrito — perhaps the perfect to-...

Learn More
Boogie Nights

A look at Seaside's old dance hall and skating rink

Learn More
The Best Part of Waking Up

Delicious breakfast dining at favorite Seaside local hot spots.

Learn More
The Scoop on Sea Star Gelato: Douglass and Tanya Lintow

No beach town is complete without an ice cream stand. There’s just something about a cool, creamy ice cream-topped cone that mak...

Learn More
Murals, Swing Jazz, and Marine Life: Experiencing Seaside’s Arts & Culture

Seaside, Oregon, is known for its downtown murals and active arts scene. Photo: Rick Mickelson As one of the best known beach dest...

Learn More
Why This Family Comes Back To Seaside Year After Year

The calm waters of the Necanicum River in Seaside, Oregon. Photo: Alex Butterfield There’s something comfortingly classic about ...

Learn More
Wave Energy

Wave energy refers to energy generated from the power of waves near their surface. There are different types of devices designed to convert wave energy, but the ones that seems to be most in use at the moment as researchers continue to investigate this source of renewable energy are buoys. Columbia Power Technologies, an Oregon-based alternative energy company, recently launched a prototype wave energy buoy in the gentle waters of the Puget Sound as it races to be one of the first suppliers of wave-generated energy.

Learn More
Painted Rock Beach
Painted Rocks & Secret Spots

Rock beach offers something relatively unknown amongst a beach that's well known

Learn More