Bandon, Oregon, is mostly known for being the largest producer of cranberries on the West Coast. People come from miles around each September to enjoy its cranberry festival. With its small-town feel and its breath-taking views of the Pacific Ocean as well as its festivals and events, Bandon is a travel destination.
Known for its cranberry cultivation, Bandon has an annual cranberry festival each year. The Cranberry Festival began in 1946 to show off the cranberry industry, and has grown to include a parade as well as a citywide street fair that includes arts and crafts vendors, food and live music. The event is free and takes place in the second week of September.
Each year from July 1 to Sept. 15, visitors flock to participate in the crab derby. Hundreds of Dungeness crabs are tagged and placed into the Coquille River in the hopes that some lucky fisherperson will collect the prize winning crab. Each tagged crab collected gives the catcher an entry into a drawing for a $1,000 grand prize. The event is at the Port of Bandon.
Bandon is also known for its golf courses. Bandon has three top-ranked golf courses, and each year the Southern Coos Health Foundation sponsors a charitable golf tournament to support Bandon health care. The tournament is in July, and participants form four-person groups and play for prizes. A hole-in-one contest and a lucky shot contest spice up the event. Those who play in the golf tournament also have the opportunity to win the Magness Cup, where the names of each member of the team will be engraved into the cup. The event, as of January 2011, costs $100 per person, which includes all fees as well as tickets to the awards banquet after the tournament.
Besides the Crab Derby, the Port of Bandon has community events all year long. Educational talks on subjects such as fishing, wildlife and meteorology throughout the year. The Port of Bandon also has an annual Windfest each August where vendors sell wind chimes and other wind-related items. Kite-making and flying demonstrations are also provided throughout the day. On Memorial Day, the port has a ceremony to bless the fleet, and in late September, a salmon derby begins.
