HELLO!
Welcome to Explore Lincoln City’s Industry eNewsletter, where we share updates, initiatives, and resources to support our tourism community. Please feel free to pass this along to colleagues and partners to help strengthen our collective outreach.
Kim Cooper Findling
Director, Explore Lincoln City
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Travel Oregon Visitor SurveyTravel Oregon has released its 2025 Oregon Visitor Profile study, completed in partnership with Future Partners. The study digs into visitor perceptions, motivations, trip details, satisfaction, planning habits, and demographics — including a dedicated Oregon Coast regional report. If you're doing any planning or budgeting for next season, this is worth a look at how visitors are engaging with our region specifically.
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Mark your calendars; the Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival returns September 25th – 27th. Returning to the 2026 Festival, the Fall Night Fly kicks things off on Friday, September 25, with LED-lit kites lighting up the evening sky, followed by two full days of kite flying festivities on September 26 and 27. Due to construction on the new Lincoln City Welcome Center at the D River Wayside, this year's festival will be held at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Explore Lincoln City is grateful for the partnership with Chinook Winds Casino Resort and the Confederated Tribe of Siletz Indians in keeping this beloved tradition going during the transition.
More details, including parking and shuttle info, will be posted as the date approaches.
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TravelAbility Film Fest + United Airlines
Big news for accessible travel storytelling on the Oregon Coast: "Accessible, Inclusive Travel on the Oregon Coast," produced by GLP Films and funded by a Travel Oregon Competitive Grants Program, took first place at the inaugural TravelAbility Film Festival and is now streaming in United Airlines' inflight entertainment collection. For the next six months, travelers on United Airlines aircraft with seatback screens can watch the film, bringing the Oregon Coast's inclusive travel story to passengers around the world. It's a great moment to point to when talking with partners about the region's accessibility efforts.
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| Lincoln City Welcome Center | Construction Underway
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The new Lincoln City Welcome Center is starting to take shape! The foundation is in place, the building’s structure is forming, and the main roof beams are now being installed. Construction remains on track for completion in early 2027. Soon, the Lincoln City Welcome Center will be the first touchpoint for visitors arriving in Lincoln City and the go-to place for visitor information, inspiration, and local recommendations.
Follow along with the latest Lincoln City Welcome Center updates on
the Lincoln City Connect page.
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Community Partnership Funds
In fiscal year 2025-2026, Explore Lincoln City awarded nearly $60K in grant funding to community tourism partners. Recipients included the Siletz Bay Music Festival, the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce, the Seven Capes Bird Alliance, Shifting Tides, and the Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative. Funding applications are being accepted for the 2026-2027 year.
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Join the Lincoln City Public Arts Committee and Explore Lincoln City to meet the three sculpture artist finalists for the new Lincoln City Welcome Center plaza.
See their proposed artworks, meet the artists, and learn more about the project.
The open house will offer an opportunity to engage with this exciting addition to the future Lincoln City Welcome Center.
When: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 5:30 PM
Where: Lincoln City City Hall | City Council Chambers
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Explore Lincoln City's Industry Resources page is your go-to hub for tourism research and economic impact data, grant opportunities, sustainability and stewardship tools, and the weekly Hot Sheet. If you'd like to be included in the Hot Sheet, submit your events each Thursday by noon to visitors@lincolncity.org. If you haven't explored everything available to you as a local tourism partner, now is a great time to check it out!
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH
This month's featured photo showcases Pelican Brewing's Lincoln City location at night, a great local example of dark-sky-friendly lighting in action. Shielded, downward-facing fixtures like these keep light where it's needed most, cutting down on glare and light pollution while still keeping the space welcoming and well-lit for guests. As Lincoln City continues to promote its dark skies and astrotourism appeal, local businesses leading by example — like Pelican Brewing Co. — help make the case for why smart lighting matters for both visitors and our night sky views.
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DID YOU FIND THIS HELPFUL?
Please share the Lincoln City Industry eNewsletter with your colleagues and friends to keep the Lincoln City tourism community connected and up to date! Click here to sign up and stay informed.
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