Editing Hood River, Oregon (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Hood River Bicyclists (Hood River County, Oregon scenic images) (hooD0006a).jpg|thumb|Bicyclists in downtown Hood River]]
Situated against a backdrop of the spectacular [[Cascade Range|Cascade Mountains]] and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Hood River has become home to a notable concentration of visual and performing artists, writers, design professionals, business creatives, and culinary establishments. In 2018, Hood River was listed as the number four small city in the "Arts Vibrancy Index", released by the National Center for Arts Research at [[Southern Methodist University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mcs.smu.edu/artsresearch2014/articles/blog-white-papers/hotbeds-americas-arts-and-culture-ranked|title=The Hotbeds of America's Arts and Culture, Ranked|website=MCS.SMU.edu|publisher=Southern Methodist University|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=July 12, 2018}}</ref>

Among the arts organizations in the city is the Performing Arts Initiative, a non-profit group founded in 2016 with the goal of building a performing arts center in the Columbia River Gorge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/performing-arts-initiative-schedules-second-business-consortium-event-feb/article_b87a2bca-db12-544c-966f-0df5507f9134.html|title=Performing Arts Initiative schedules second Business Consortium event, Feb. 6|website=HoodRiverNews.com|publisher=Hood River News|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=January 16, 2019}}</ref> The group's chair, Mark Steighner, was the musical director of [[Hood River Valley High School]] before retiring to head the PAI.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hoodrivernews.com/gorge-life/performing-arts-initiative-hosts-second-town-hall/article_dac10d46-686f-5e7b-bd72-b779592ed89d.html|title=Performing Arts Initiative hosts second town hall|website=HoodRiverNews.com|publisher=Hood River News|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=September 21, 2016}}</ref>

Also based in Hood River is the Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association (CGOA), a non-profit organization that includes six ensembles. The CGOA initially consisted solely of the Mid-Columbia Sinfonietta, which began performing in 1977 in conjunction with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. The association was formed in 2004, adding two choirs, a jazz collective, a string quartet, and a theater group throughout the next ten years.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cook|first=Janet|date=Spring 2016|title=Beethoven in the Gorge|url=https://issuu.com/thegorgemagazine/docs/thegorgemagazine_sp16_lr|magazine=The Gorge Magazine|access-date=March 7, 2019|pages=70–71}}</ref>

A small city with good walkability, Hood River is home to a public art walking tour and six diverse art galleries all within the small 'downtown' area. ''[https://art-of-community.com/sculptures BIG ART] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009210354/https://art-of-community.com/sculptures |date=October 9, 2019 }},'' the public art walking tour hosted by [https://art-of-community.com/ Art of Community] (established in 2014), periodically rotates sculptures and other outdoor art installations throughout the town.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://art-of-community.com/|title=Art of Community|website=Art of Community|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-09}}</ref>

===Annual events===
Annual cultural events in the [[Hood River Valley]] include Hood River Valley Blossom Time<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hoodriver.org/hood-river-valley-blossom-time/|title=Hood River Valley Blossom Time|website=HoodRiver.org|publisher=Hood River County Chamber of Commerce|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> and the Hood River Hard-Pressed Cider Fest,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hoodriver.org/cider-fest/|title=Hood River Hard-Pressed Cider Fest|website=HoodRiver.org|publisher=Hood River County Chamber of Commerce|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> which take place in April, as well as the Hood River Hops Fest<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hoodriver.org/hops-fest/|title=Hood River Hops Fest|website=HoodRiver.org|publisher=Hood River County Chamber of Commerce|access-date=March 7, 2019|archive-date=May 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507004218/http://hoodriver.org/hops-fest|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the Hood River Valley Harvest Fest,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hoodriver.org/harvest-fest/|title=Hood River Valley Harvest Fest|website=HoodRiver.org|publisher=Hood River County Chamber of Commerce|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> both in October. In 2012, [[Food & Wine|FoodandWine.com]] identified the Harvest Fest as one of the best harvest festivals in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sterling|first=Justine|url=https://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/best-harvest-festivals#6|title=Best Harvest Festivals|website=FoodandWine.com|publisher=[[Food & Wine]]|access-date=April 2, 2014}}</ref>

The oldest swimming event on the [[Columbia River]], the Roy Webster Cross-Channel Swim, takes place in Hood River every [[Labor Day]]. The event has been held nearly continuously since 1942, with the first cancellation occurring in 2017 due to the [[Eagle Creek Fire]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hoodriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/press-release_RoyWebsterSwim2018_FINAL.pdf|title=Roy Webster Cross-Channel Swim Does a Second Lap on Its 75th Anniversary Celebration This Labor Day|website=HoodRiver.org|publisher=Hood River County Chamber of Commerce|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=August 21, 2018}}</ref> The U.S. Windsurfing National Championships were held in Hood River in 2001,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitesalmonenterprise.com/archive/windsurfing-finals-return-to-the-gorge/article_e3de3417-10f1-5b6e-a979-53a1aa34cba4.html|title=Windsurfing finals return to the Gorge|website=WhiteSalmonEnterprise.com|publisher=White Salmon Enterprise|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=August 15, 2001}}</ref> 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.surfertoday.com/windsurfing/bruce-peterson-takes-the-2009-us-windsurfing-national-championships|title=Bruce Peterson takes the 2009 US Windsurfing National Championships|website=SurferToday.com|publisher=Surfer Today|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=July 28, 2009}}</ref> and 2012,<ref>{{cite web|last=Klein|first=Elisa|url=https://www.portlandsocietypage.com/2012/07/19/u-s-windsurfing-nationals-set-for-next-week-in-the-gorge/|title=U.S. Windsurfing Nationals Set for Next Week in the Gorge|website=PortlandSocietyPage.com|publisher=Portland Society Page|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=July 19, 2012}}</ref> and the Mount Hood Cycling Classic was held in the city from 2002 to 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last=Morical|first=Mark|url=https://www.bendbulletin.com/sports/6179542-151/as-many-other-events-fade-away-organizers-and|title=As many other events fade away, organizers are confident the Cascade Cycling Classic will continue|website=BendBulletin.com|publisher=Bend Bulletin|access-date=March 7, 2019|date=April 28, 2018}}</ref>

===Museums and other points of interest===
[[File:Columbia Gorge Hotel rear - Hood River Oregon.jpg|thumb|upright|The Columbia Gorge Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places]]
Hood River is home to the [[History Museum of Hood River County]] and the [[Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum]]; the [[International Museum of Carousel Art]] was also housed in the city until its closure in 2010. The city has over two dozen sites listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (due in large part to the work of Sally Donovan, a local historian<ref>{{cite web|url=http://historichoodriver.com/index.php?showimage=1563|title=Dethman House Sketch by Sally Donovan|website=historichoodriver.com|date=November 30, 2016 |publisher=The History Museum of Hood River County|access-date=May 22, 2019}}</ref>), including the [[Columbia Gorge Hotel]], built in 1920 by Portland [[timber baron]] and Columbia Gorge [[Boosterism|booster]] [[Simon Benson]].

The oldest house in the city is the Ezra L. Smith home, which he built in 1886 for his family.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} Smith was influential in state politics, in Oregon agricultural development, in Hood River city administration, and in banking. The house later served as a [[funeral home|mortuary]] for over 40 years and is now the site of wine production and tastings for Stoltz Vineyards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stoltzwinery.com/our-team|title=Stoltz Winery – The Winery|website=StoltzWinery.com|publisher=Stoltz Winery|access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>