Jacksonville

• Britt Music Festival

  Now in its 48th year, Britt Festivals, a non-profit organization, is the Pacific Northwest's premiere outdoor summer performing arts festival. Located in the historic 1850s gold rush town of Jacksonville, Oregon (USA), Britt presents dozens of summer concerts, featuring world-class artists in classical music, jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, world, pop and country music from June - September. Britt's performance venue is a naturally formed amphitheater set among majestic ponderosa pines and native madrones on the beautiful hillside estate of 19th century photographer Peter Britt, with stadium and lawn seating within a natural setting. Tens of thousands of music lovers travel from all over the West to enjoy Britt's world-class performances, spectacular scenery and casual, relaxing atmosphere.

  Britt is a convenient day's drive from Seattle or San Francisco, and is located just five miles west of Southern Oregon's largest metropolitan area, Medford, and only 15 miles north of Ashland and the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Oregon's only National Park, Crater Lake, is a scenic two-hour drive from Jacksonville.

• Chinese New Year Celebration

  Each year the Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association presents an enthusiastic Chinese New Year festival celebrating the Chinese in Jacksonville's history. Growing each year, 2010 featured a wide variety of art and culture related activities and the largest Chinese New Year Parade here to date.

• Applegate Wine Trail

  The Applegate Valley is one of Oregon’s newest appellations and represents another step forward for a wine industry running at full speed. The valley runs for 50 miles, from the California border to the Rogue River in southern Oregon. The region is largely protected from coastal influences, experiencing warmer and drier growing seasons than most of the state. The area’s vineyards are located mainly on stream terraces with granite soils, which provide excellent drainage. Combined with its higher natural elevations, the valley offers the perfect climate for Chardonnay, Syrah and Bordeaux red varietals.

  Created on petition from winery owner Barnard E. Smith, the AVA is an alternative to Oregon’s cool-climate viticulture. Jacksonville is the Southern gateway to this trove of wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms. Reasonably priced tickets, including a glass to take with you, can be purchased from many Jacksonville merchants as you head out to enjoy a drive through this beautiful valley and taste the wines of several of its vineyards.

• Applegate Valley Uncorked Spring Barrel Tour

  Join the Applegate Valley Vintners for our annual Spring Uncorked Barrel Tour! Each of the 15 wineries in the spectacular Applegate Valley will be ready to celebrate the spring with you as they feature delicious appetizer pairings matched with some of the best wines from each estate. Come join us as we welcome you into our cellars for a taste of what's to come! Tickets include a commemorative glass and tasting at all 15 participating wineries! There is no better time of the year to taste all of the nationally and internationally recognized wines of the Applegate Valley. For more information, please call (541) 846-6364.

• Southern Oregon World of Wine Festival

  The World of Wine Festival is the Rogue Valley’s premier wine event showcasing outstanding wines made exclusively with Southern Oregon grapes, featuring the finest wines from over 40 Southern Oregon wineries. This event brings together the expertise of wine grape growers, the creativity of local and regional winemakers, and gourmet foods and live music. Proceeds generated from this event support local community organizations such as The Rogue Valley Winegrowers Association (RVWA) and the Southern Oregon Winery Association (SOWA). Through 2010 the World of Wine (WOW) Festival was held at Del Rio Vineyards in Gold Hill. Some 40 wineries participated, and more than 750 people attended the grand public tasting, which accompanies a professionally judged wine competition.

  The event, which has sold out every year since its inception, is co-sponsored by the Rogue Valley Winegrowers Association and the Southern Oregon Winery Association. In 2010, the Southern Oregon World of Wine announced that it was moving to Jacksonville and expanding from a single day event into a multiday festival. “Jacksonville offers a more centralized location and the ability to expand, as well as being a gateway to the area’s wonderful wine regions,” said Chairman Lee Mankin. “The historically rich setting also offers numerous unique shops and restaurants that will enrich the festival, while at the same time providing much needed meeting facilities and convenient lodging.” These plans were fulfilled with the 2011 festival, when it was held at Bigham Knoll the week of August 22nd, culminating in the Grand Tasting on the evening of Saturday, August 27th. With the 2011 festival also came the first juried art competition for the next Festival's poster, accompanied by a show and silent auction of the top ten entries.

• Here's a list of additional Applegate Valley businesses you might want handy when exploring wine country: http://applegater.org/biz/biznames.htm. Pick up an Applegater paper at just about any business in the Applegate Valley for current news, events, and business listings.
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• The Jacksonville Review

  The best source of news and information about events in Jacksonville is this monthly newspaper, published by husband and wife team Whit and Jo Parker. The Review's online edition features maps and a directory with links to Jacksonville merchants, making it easy to scout the town's interesting variety of merchants, dining, lodging, wine tasting and historic locations before coming to town so you know where to find what you want to explore. The website, launched January 2011, was created to provide timely news and event information between print publications and to provide a forum for residents and visitors alike to contribute to a lively online representation of the town and has become very popular with locals as well as visitors.

• Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce

  The Jacksonville Chamber provides a visitor information booth next to the Post Office where you can learn more about the town and area history and attractions. They are also a primary sponsor of Jacksonville's Chinese New Year Parade and celebration.

Learn more about Jacksonville, Oregon from these Great Reviews:

Thoroughly researched article in the Bend Bulletin.

Men's Journal Magazine put Jacksonville on the Best Places to Live list in their April 2011 issue.

Sunset Magazine helped put the Applegate Valley wine country on the map by adding it to their 2010 IT List. Separately, Sunset published a great review with helpful information for wine country travelers.

Jacksonville made Budget Travel's Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America list in October 2009.

The Jacksonville Inn is a centrally located place to stay in Jacksonville which consistently gets high marks for their accomodation, restaurant and wine shop. Unique Inns says this in their review:

This exceptional hotel and gourmet restaurant are at the very center of historic Jacksonville. Founded in 1861 during Oregon's gold rush, the Inn is a short walk from the world-renowned Peter Britt Music Festival. This National Historic Landmark offers accommodations combining Victorian opulence with modern conveniences. Honeymoon cottages exhibit the character of the historic town and are especially luxurious. The restaurant features a full bar and outstanding wine cellar with over 2,000 wines. Wine Spectator has awarded the Inn's wine selection the prestigious Best of Award of Excellence.

In January 2002, AAA's Via Magazine published an extensive article & review on Jacksonville with links.

Jacksonville: Gem of Applegate Valley, review by My Outdoor Buddy's Amber Galusha.

Mining for dining gold in historic Jacksonville, Oregon: article at OregonLive.com (in the Mix section)

More info about Jacksonville at Trip Advisor. Check out their Jacksonville Guide HERE