October 30, 2026 3:05 a.m. 

Organizers say downtown Roseburg will become a walkable tasting tour of Douglas County on Friday, October 30th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. when Umpqua Valley Farm to School, Thrive Umpqua and ReDiscover Downtown present the first-ever Taste of the Umpqua.

The free event is part of ReDiscover Downtown’s Fifth Friday celebration.

A release said attendees can visit the Taste of the Umpqua stations at designated host businesses to enjoy complimentary bites and sips from local chefs, restaurants, wineries, and food producers. Every tasting features ingredients grown, raised, caught, or created in Douglas County. Participating chefs received a credit to buy local ingredients through the Umpqua Grown Food Hub, so each bite also supports local farms.

Taste of the Umpqua is more than a night out.  It is part of the Douglas County Food System Assessment, led by Umpqua Valley Farm to School and Thrive Umpqua. At host sites along the route, guests will find quick questions about how they shop for and eat local food. Those who answer every question are entered into a raffle for prizes from local businesses. The release said the responses will help identify barriers to local food access and opportunities to strengthen connections between producers, restauarnts and residents.

Thrive Umpqua Executive Director Jess Hand said at the 2025 Longest Table event, Taste of the Umpqua was voted as one of the top five projects, earning $9,000 in micro-grant funding to bring it to life. The event is also funded by the Oregon Food Bank’s Food, Education, Agriculture, Solutions Together program.

Guides with a map of tasting locations will be available to pick up at the Rainbow Kitchen/Umpqua Grown Food Hub, at 736 Southeast Cass Avenue. Residents who can’t attend the event, can still share their input through the community food survey at: https://bit.ly/localfoodsystem26