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Gnomes, Fairies & Backyard Adventure, Oh My!

Embrace your inner gnome, fairy or backyard character and join us at the Camas First Friday tomorrow, May 3rd from 5pm-8pm for a magical “Gnome & Fairy Backyard Adventure” themed evening. We hope to see lots of gnomes and fairies and backyard critters dressed up for the fun!

Bring your friends and family and take part in a variety of free games, crafts, treats, and activities that are sure to spark your First Friday joy! Enjoy after-hours shopping, dining, music and art shows that are spread throughout Downtown Camas.

This event offers a chance to foster connections, explore new adventures, and create lasting memories with your neighbors and friends. Don't miss out on this whimsical and festive opportunity!

Start your evening by picking up a First Friday Passport & Activity List at the DCA Tables in the Journey lobby, 304 NE 4th.

So Much Going On! Check out all the details here!

First Friday Art Openings and Receptions

It is with great pleasure that we extend an invitation to you for the Soft Opening event taking place on May 3rd, 5-8 pm, during the May First Friday festivities!

This special occasion marks the debut of The RedDoor Gallery, a new and vibrant addition to Downtown Camas.

Their mission is to establish an art hub that fosters creativity and community engagement, and they are excited to share this vision with you.

Join Liz Pike, Heidi Curley and Tamra Sheline as they embark on this artistic journey together.

411 NE Dallas St.

MAY 3rd at 5pm at the Second Story Gallery!

There will be an Opening Reception for 'My Teacher is a Wolf: The Comics Art of Aron Nels Steinke'

Come to the opening reception of the next exhibit at the Second Story Gallery, located inside the Camas Public Library: My Teacher is a Wolf: The Comics Art of Aron Nels Steinke.

Aron will be present at this opening reception and he is from Camas! The show will be on display for the month of May. Find him online at mrwolfsclass.com. 625 NE 4th Ave.

Welcome to the New Plant & Garden Fair Vendors

The 25th year of the Camas Plant & Garden Fair features over fifteen new vendors bringing new and hard to find offerings to the event. Three not-to-miss vendors are Blue Gem Bakery, Bell Flower Farm, and Rhythm Seed Farm.

Blue Gem Baking Co. – This woman owned micro-business features artisanal cookies and cupcakes, in plant and garden themed designs. Owner Mikenzie Drew was also a vendor at the Camas Farmer’ Market where she gained a following for her intricate piping work and fun themed items.

Belle Flower Farm – Vancouver resident Pam Richey Curtis will bring her curated selection of vintage vessels planted with homegrown succulents, as well as an array of gardening books, vintage tools and patio styling items. Curtis has been a favorite Camas Vintage & Art Fair Vendor since 2022. She also offers seasonal bouquet subscriptions with locally grown blooms.

Rhythm Seed Farm – This unique 501c3 nonprofit was born during the Covid era seed shortages of 2020. Founder Nick Canino had been growing hundreds of pounds of food in his yard for many years. He pivoted from food production to seed breeding and has now produced millions of seeds from over 50 different crops. With a commitment to donate half the seeds they produce, they have now given 3,000 seed packets to BIPOC and low income families in the Portland Metro area. Nick will be bringing his wide variety of hand harvested seeds, as well as rare native plant starts.

Here's a list of the other new vendors to the Plant & Garden this year:

Bakehouse Sourdough, CAF Oasis Gardens, Firefly Stained Glass, Fort Vancouver Rose Society, Fuse4u, Green Goddess Garden Consulting llc, Lucia Falls Farm, Nevaeh's Planters, Peace by Piece Pottery and Seasalt Art.

For a list of all the participating vendors, visit here.

Each vendor brings a unique offering! Join us May 11th to explore all the different products and see how they can enhance your gardening experience.

Heartfelt Gratitude for the 2024 Downtown Camas Flower Basket Donors

A big thank you to everyone who adopted a flower basket this year! We met our goal! Your support makes a huge difference, and we couldn't beautify Downtown Camas in this way without you. A special shoutout to Marae with the City of Camas for keeping the baskets flourishing throughout the summer.

The baskets add a pop of color and charm to the streetscape, making it a vibrant and welcoming place for everyone. Here's to a blooming and colorful spring and summer season in Downtown Camas!

Our 2024 Downtown Camas Flower Basket Donors - Thank you to:

Andy and Tammy LaFrazia

Anjali Remme Realtor

Ann & John Sturgeon

Ann and John Hill

Anonymous

Arktana

Attic Gallery

Becky and Feike Postma

Bill & Gleda Marthens

Brotherton Family in Memory of Melanie Curtis

Calvillo - Otero family

Camas Antiques

Candy and Gretta Takakawa

Caroline Mercury

Connie Urquhart & Howard Hamme

Craig and Carrie Schulstad

Crown Jewel Luxury Salon

Darin Camin & Cara Helmke

Deanna Rusch

Doug & Cloe Ziegler

Elisa Wells

Farrell Farms

Fuel Medical Group

Hidden River Coffee Roasters

In Honor of Ann Carol Orlando

In Honor of Barry Burnham

In Honor of Christopher Keels

In Honor of Gary Rieger

In Honor of Ilene Carter

In Honor of Jerry & Sue Lanz

In Honor of Melanie Curtis

In Honor of my profound love for Vatik Dulo

In Honor of Orbison

In Honor of Pat Hughson

In Honor of Sean Pryor

In Honor of Shelby Reid

In Loving Memory of Becky Bjorklund

In Memory of Michael Hilliard

In Memory of Robin Pappan

Jim and Debbie Peasley/Mom & Dad

Jim and Mary Jo Roy

John & Judy Straub/Jyl Straub

John Nohr

Kristina Lockwood and Mark Brubaker

Liberty Theatre

Lidia Hawrylo

Little Wings Library

Marcy McMahon and kids in honor of our Aunt Pam Quiring

Mark & Maria Klein

Mark Burger

Martiné Gibbons, Cascade Hasson Sotheby's Realty

Michelle & Heidi -Bella Casa Team @ Knipe Realty

Mike & Chris Williams

Mike & Kristen Danis

Mike & Sandra Fisher in Memory of Melanie Curtis

Mike and Michelle Hughes

Nathan Ladd

PNW Financial Concierge

Poppy & Hawk

Randal Freidman

Richelle Bagdasarian

Romelhardt Family in Memory of Melanie Curtis

Sabra Killen

Scott & Sarah Collins

Sit and Play Piano

Steve & Mary Beth Hogan in honor of Dave Ellenz

Suncrest Landscaping & Design, Inc

Suzy & Buzz Truitt

Terri Williams

The Baldus Family

The Boerke Family

The Boyter Family

The Hein Family

The Heiser Family

The Horne Family

The McPhun Family

The Pierce Family

The Robinson Family

The Shinabarger Family

The Sideropoulos Family

The Soap Chest

The Strand Family

The Swisher Family

The Tuttle Family

Val Hambley and Kenn Wong

White Oak Art and Craft Festival

Ribbon Cutting for the New Camas Culture Art Block

Save the Date for a Ribbon Cutting & Art Unveiling honoring the new Camas Culture Art Block Art Installation in Downtown Camas on May 17th at 5pm!

The Downtown Camas Association, inspired by and in collaboration with Hayes Freedom 2024 senior, Maria Navarro Alejandres, is establishing a Camas Culture Art Block on 5th Ave. between Birch and Cedar Streets to increase representation and celebrate the many diverse cultures of people living in Camas through art.

The art was submitted by local high school students and will be printed on large size displays. We are thrilled to have this as part of the Camas art tour and grateful to Ziply Fiber for providing the space on their building. Make plans to join us for the celebration!

The Ribbon Cutting & Art Unveiling will start at 5pm on Friday, May 17^th at the corner of 5^th Ave & Cedar St and will be followed by a reception generously sponsored by Ziply at the Attic Gallery space, 421 NE Cedar. Refreshments and live student music will add to the festivities. All are welcome.

It will be spectacular to see all the beauty and interest on 5th Ave!

Pictured above: Kevin Guillen, Community Development Manager from Ziply; Carrie Schulstad, Executive Director of the DCA; Maria Navarro Alejandres, student artist; and Miranda Wakeman, Maria's art mentor from Hayes Freedom High School.

For the full press release, visit here.

May the 4th Be With You (and also with you)

We'll be celebrating Star Wars Day in Downtown Camas again! Fun it will be! On May 4th, come dressed in your favorite Star Wars attire and visit any of the Downtown Camas coffee shops (Caffe Piccolo, Hidden River Roasters, LLC, Squeeze and Grind) and be entered to win!

Baristas will snap a picture of you in your Star Wars fandom wear and post on social media so we can choose our faves!

There will be one random winner from each location and a Best Costume winner from each location as well. Each of the coffee shops will have special Star Wars themed drinks that day! Gift card prizes are being donated by the Downtown Camas Association.

Caffe Piccolo, 400 NE 4th

Hidden River Roasters, 536 NE 5th

Squeeze & Grind, 537 NE Cedar

Join us for just pure fun in Downtown Camas! May the 4th Be With You!!!

Downtown Collaborations

Are you excited for Mother's Day? Lily Boutique Camas and Poppy & Hawk are celebrating this special occasion with an exclusive giveaway. You stand a chance to win an amazing prize package worth $134, which includes a reversible glass vase from Poppy & Hawk, a recycled leather wallet, and some fun socks from Lily. To enter, all you need to do is follow both Lily and Poppy & Hawk on social media, tag three friends who would love to participate, and share their post on your stories while tagging both accounts. It's that simple!

The winner will be announced on May 4th, so hurry up and get your entries in before it's too late! 223 & 237 NE 4th

Save the Date!

Get ready for Cinco de Mayo by joining Juxtaposition on May 4th.

They will have demos on how to mix the perfect margarita at 11:30 am & 3:00 pm from Mesa's amazing bartender! Don't miss out on special Juxtaposition deals on margarita glasses, too. You can get a coupon for free chips & salsa from Nuestra Mesa! YUM!

425 NE 4th

Here's another exciting Downtown Camas collaboration!

Join Runyan's Jewelers and Bookish for Books & Baubles, May 7th, 5:30pm-7:30pm. It's a special late night evening for shopping and refreshments.

Help raise funds and awareness for the Summer Reading Program hosted by Bookish.

Get 5% off all sales during the event (that will be donated to the Summer Reading program) and 20% off all finished jewelry.

327 NE 4th Ave.

Downtown Collaborations are the perfect time to shop local!

Congratulations Grains of Wrath!

Cheers to Grains of Wrath! We're excited to announce that GOW snagged a GOLD and a pair of SILVERS at the 2024 World Beer Cup! Huge props to their incredible brewing team - your dedication is truly award-worthy! We are so very lucky to have this amazing brewery, gastropub and the people who work there in our downtown!

The World Beer Cup is a big deal, known as “the Olympics of Beer”. It's the most prestigious beer competition in the world. Some fun facts about the WBC: 280 judges hailing from 37 countries meticulously evaluated 9,300 entries, representing 2,060 breweries across 50 nations! Like we said, it's a big deal!

Are you ready for even more award-winning brews? Head on over to Grains of Wrath and give some a try! 230 NE 5th

Mother's Day Brunch Options in Downtown Camas

Treat Mom to a Special Mother's Day Brunch at Salud Wine Bar, Italian Dining, Event Center and Wine Storage! Chef Lisa has crafted a tempting menu filled with something delicious for everyone!

Reserve your table today! Space is limited. Call 360-787-2583 or email info@saludwine.com. Pricing: Adults: $40 per person, Children: $15 per person.

Available reservation times (subject to change):

9:30 AM

9:45 AM

10:00 AM

11:45 AM

12:00 PM

Make Mom's day extra special! 224 NE 3rd

Make Mom's Day at Mesa

Looking for a delicious brunch spot to enjoy with friends and family? Look no further than Mesa! Call now to make your reservation for their mouth-watering brunch, served from 10am to 2pm.

360-210-5311

Brunch & Dinner at Feast 316

That's right, my friends...Feast 316 will be OPEN for BRUNCH + DINNER on Mother's Day! They'll be open from 12p to 8p - Reservations available thru Tock--just click the link or give them a call.

360-210-7498

Save the Date for the Library Book Sale

Calling all book worms!! Book sale May 9th - May 12th!!

Did you know the Camas Public Library has a non-profit organization who helps coordinate gifts of time and resources from the community in order to support library services, and to help maintain our beloved library as an enduring force for the public good? The Friends & Foundation of the Camas Library serves that role!

The Camas Public Library has book sales where you can find amazing deals! All the money goes back to the library, so you can support a good cause and score a great book at the same time. Win-win! 625 NE 4th. See times above!

Congratulations to Skyridge Middle School

and 6th Grader Aaria!

Skyridge Middle School 6th grader, Aaria Lankireddy, shined at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair, earning three significant awards: First Place in 6th Grade, the Thermo Fisher Scientific Award for Advancing Equity Through Innovation, and the Oral Health Care Award by the Washington State Dental Association. Her project, "Can Himalayan and Bolivian Pink Salt Gum Reduce Dental Plaque Without Impacting Blood Pressure?", also earned her an invitation to present at the PNW Dental Conference. Congrats to Aaria!

Spotlight on the DCA

The Downtown Camas Association (DCA) is effectively driven by staff and board members who are passionate about the development, vibrancy, economic strength and culture of Downtown Camas.

Each week we will spotlight one of our esteemed board members or staff.

Meet Carrie Schulstad, DCA Executive Director

I opened a small business called The Uncommon Gift in Downtown Camas in 2004 and quickly caught the community development bug! I was on the founding DCA Board in 2009 and have been the Executive Director since 2014. I absolutely love the transformation that has happened in Downtown Camas, and I’m empowered by working with others and creating change in our community. I also sit on our Camas Farmer’s Market Board and appreciate the opportunity to increase food access, health education and chances to meaningfully connect in our town.

Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW Arktana will be celebrating their 10 year anniversary TODAY, Thursday, May 2nd! WOW!!! 10am-6pm.

All of their Arktana Locations (Camas, Felida & Ridgefield) will have raffles, a gift with purchase, discounts & more! Join them in celebrating 10 Wonderful years in Clark County! Bring your friends, family, neighbors to join the FUN. They want to celebrate with you!

Fun fact! Arktana: a meeting of minds (and states!) This unique name blends Arkansas and Montana, the home states of their founders.

What's Happening at the Library Event Spotlight

Tuesday, May 7th at 6:30pm - Page Turners is a monthly book discussion group for 4th-6th graders and their adult.

How it works:

Pick up the book at the Library (in-person or via curbside).
You and your child both read the book.
You both come to the meeting, and then keep your copy of the book for good, free!

This year's reading list:

September - James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

October - Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

November - Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres

December - The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

January - The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

February - Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls

March - Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young

April - Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

May - Best Nerds Forever by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

June - Melissa by Alex Gino

This event is sponsored in part by the Friends and Foundation of the Camas Library (FFCL).

Tuesday, May 7th at 2pm -

English Conversation Group

Join their English Conversation Group and enhance your language skills in a supportive and engaging environment!

Practice speaking, listening, and expressing yourself confidently with fellow language enthusiasts. Whether you're a beginner or advanced learner, the group welcomes everyone looking to improve their English fluency.

This class is for adults only.