By KIRBY NEUMANN-REA
News editor
April 18, 2007

Hood River Valley Blossom Festival mixes old and new when it returns for its 53rd installment this weekend.

The grand opening of the newest addition to the Hood River Fruit Loop tour of attractions, The Gorge White House, and the new Blossom Festival Glass Art Showcase bring the total count of special events marking this year’s Blossom Festival to 26.

Locals and visitors can find all they need to know about the festival and its many associated events in the Hood River News annual special section, “Panorama,” included in this edition, and elsewhere in this edition.

Panorama comes in three sections: Blossoms (with Parkdale orchardist Jim Donnelly on the cover), Reflections (with 19th century Native American bead artist Martha Aleck featured on the front), and Community (the historic Pine Grove Methodist Church depicted on the cover).

Portions of the covers are seen at the top of this page.

“The festival celebrates the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new growing season,” according to Genevieve Scholl-Erdman, marketing director for the sponsoring Chamber of Commerce.

Here are highlights:

* Pine Grove Methodist Church, the picturesque “church in the valley,” at 2415 Eastside Road, was founded in 1907. The congregation hosts a centennial worship service that is open to the public, at 11 a.m. Sunday.

* Longtime Hood River orchardist Camille Hukari is holding the grand opening of her “Gorge White House” during the festival.

* Fine Arts and Music Festival, an annual Blossom feature, returns both days. Normally staged in Parkdale, it moves this year to the Mt. Hood Railroad train depot, in downtown Hood River, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hear Chic Preston and Friends both days, and enjoy varied creations by local artisans.

* Historic Hood River Hotel presents the Blossom Festival Glass Showcase. Charlene Fort of Morning Sun Studio and Linda Steider of Steider Studios have joined forces to present a glass art showcase, Friday and Saturday.

This year’s festival also features traditional favorite events:

* The Blossom Craft Show at the County Fairgrounds in Odell.

* Hood River Antique Expo at the Expo Center.

* Blossom Fest Quilt Show — moving to a new location this year: the Parkdale Community Center.

* Rasmussen Farms’ Pansy Party (Thomsen Road in Pine Grove.

* Parkdale Grange Blossom Dinner, a perennial favorite for Pacific Northwest motorcycle clubs.

* Special scenic rail excursions onboard the Mount Hood Railroad are all back this year.