Centennial anniversaries don’t happen all too often. Once every hundred years, in fact! We’ll show you how to celebrate all year long but bonus points if you happen to catch Promenade Dedication Day (Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021). On this day 100 years ago, the Seaside Promenade and Turnaround was officially dedicated by 8-year-old Martha Hagmeier, who broke a bottle of seawater on the concrete. Any day this year, though, you can bring your loved ones to experience one of the most special events on the Oregon Coast — the centennial of Seaside’s iconic Promenade. Here’s how to do it.
Day 1
When you arrive in town, stop by the Seaside Visitors Bureau first to pick up your Prom Centennial book, get entered into the sweepstakes and get your bearings before you explore. Take a selfie in the giant Adirondack chair outside, and keep your eyes peeled for these other great selfie spots around town.
Refreshments are likely in order. The parking lot at the Visitors Bureau is a great spot to park your car while you explore the sights and sounds of Broadway on foot. Fuel up on caffeine at Seaside Coffee House, one of several top-notch coffee spots in town. Across the street is Dough Dough Bakery, known for its chocolate-tahini roll and other fresh-baked sweet and savory goods.
Make your way down Broadway and admire the colorful pocket gardens that brighten up the streetscape. When you hit the Turnaround, head north or south and enjoy strolling the Prom — or rent bikes from the Prom Bike Shop or Wheel Fun Rentals and cruise on two or four wheels. You can also dig into local history on a self-guided Historic Homes Walking Tour (in the Prom Centennial booklet) on the Prom, and make your way to the Seaside Historical Society Museum to see the brand-new exhibits on local Native American history, the history of the Promenade, local logging culture and more.
Don’t forget to hit the beach! Seaside’s wide stretch of sandy shoreline is perfect for kite-flying, sandcastle-making, and beachcombing for sand dollars and other marine treasures — for the best finds, check the tide tables and come during low tide or in the morning before the crowds are out.
Day 2
If you’re looking for an outdoorsy adventure, how about crabbing or paddling, which you can do right in town? You could also head just 10 minutes southeast for mountain biking along the forested trails at Klootchy Creek County Park, or head 10 minutes southwest to Elden Feldenheimer State Natural Area for the scenic 4.7-mile loop hike to Indian Beach and back again — with views of Tillamook Head and the offshore lighthouse “Terrible Tilly” along the way.
If you happen to be visiting during the first Saturday of the month, you can wind down between 5 and 7 pm at Seaside’s free First Saturday Art Walk, when the galleries between Holladay Drive and Broadway in the Historic Gilbert District showcase the works of local artists. Celebrate the evening with a true coastal dinner, Seaside-style.
Find more info at the official Prom Centennial page, including how to enter the Centennial Sweepstakes.
Don’t Miss These Special Prom Treats:
Cool off from the beach with a treat at Sea Star Gelato — try their Centennial Sundae, which comes in a cup that changes color when the cold ice cream hits it. When it’s time for a proper meal, there’s no lack of family-friendly dinner choices with ample outdoor seating in the summer. At Seaside Brewery (housed in the town’s old jail), pair a house-smoked pulled-pork or brisket sandwich with their limited-release Prom Centennial Pale Ale.
