8 CapitalPress.com November 3, 2017 Dine Around Oregon will be biggest, best yet By GEOFF PARKS For the Capital Press Dine Around Oregon con- tinues to grow along with the Willamette Valley Ag Expo, according to Jill Ingalls, event coordinator. The wildly popular dining event continues a 5-year tra- dition by increasing the seat- ing and selling more tickets this year. “We’ll be offering a total of 850 tickets, which is the largest we’ve seen,” Ingalls said, “but hopefully this year we won’t turn anyone away.” Seating areas have been add- ed as well as some additional gathering spots to accommo- date everyone. The concept for Dine Around Oregon isn’t new, but this one will be a bit differ- ent, she said. That’s because there is a full meal buffet with a different theme in each building — “and you can eat your way through all of them!” she said. You’ll also find local products to sample, such as Oregon olive oil, and even local craft brews and spirits (not included with the Courtesy of Kristi Crawford Dine Around Oregon at the Willamette Valley Ag Expo draws a hungry crowd. Courtesy of Kristi Crawford Patrons line up at Dine Around Oregon in 2016. meal ticket). Dine Around Oregon has turned Wednesday night of the Willamette Valley Agri- culture Expo into “a bit of a reunion,” Ingalls said. “So LEE’S DIESEL & MOBILE REPAIR Rickreall, OR • 866-390-9146 many folks look forward to seeing their neighbors and suppliers at this fun event.” The value of a similar meal would exceed $30 any- where else, she said. “But here at the Expo, our sponsors and partners bring the hard cost of this meal down to just $12. For exam- ple, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association contributes Or- egon beef products, the Or- egon Dairy Women bring pounds and pounds of Ore- gon cheese and the list goes on with each type of food product,” she said. “What started out as a nice idea for a fun activity on Wednesday evening has turned into a lovely event with high demand for tick- ets,” Ingalls said. “Vendors love the activity at night, and stay open to accommodate shoppers and farmers that can’t attend the Expo during the typical daytime hours. “Small farms and home or backyard operation pro- ducers tend to show up on Wednesday night, as many work off the farm at a regular 8-to-5 type of job.” Dine Around Oregon runs from 5 to 9 p.m. on Wednes- day, Nov. 15. Ingalls said tickets are available online at http://wvaexpo.com. Pierce Pivot & Linear Irrigation Systems High Quality Parts & Service - Valley, Reinke & Zimmatic Linear, Corners, Pivots Underground Guidance is our Specialty Cell/Text 541-936-9146 www.leesdiesel.com WVAG17-3/106 WVAE17-1\100 Submersible, Line-Shaft Turbine & Diesel Pumps, Variable Speed Drives for Pumps & Motors, Trenching for PVC Mainline, Drainage & Electric, Direct Bury Power Cable Sales & Installation PVC Mainline Pipe & Fittings (all types), Generator Sets, Deutz & Isuzu Diesel Engines & Parts, Diesel Power conversions for Turbine Pumps