June Newsletter | Kona Ice, Spider-Man, a fire truck, and 1,500 of your neighbors 🚒 June 16

Here's your June update from the Independence Downtown Association

Last Day of School Celebration | June 16

IDA's Last Day of School Celebration is right around the corner!

When: June 16, 3 to 5 PM 

Where: Riverview Park 

Cost: Free for everyone

What's happening at the event:

Kona Ice. Elsa and Spider-Man appearances. A fire truck from the Independence Fire Department. Summer reading kick-off with the library. Live music. And giveaways and activities from 20+ community organizations.

Who's going to be there:

Card My Yard, Central School District, City of Monmouth, Community Action Head Start, Family Building Blocks, Heritage Grove Federal Credit Union, Heritage Museum, Independence Fire Department, Independence Library, Independence Police Department, Kona Ice, Liberty House, Lions Club, Mid Valley Parenting, Monmouth Library, ODHS Self Sufficiency, Oregon Child Development Coalition, Polk County DD Services, Polk County Public Health, Polk GED & Career Pathways Program, The Thoughts and Gifts Project, Trammart News, and the YMCA.

Grab a printable flyer (English version or Spanish version) to help us spread the word!

Want to help make it happen? We're looking for a few more volunteers for event day. If you're free June 16 from 1 to 5 PM, reply to this email or reach out to info@downtownindependence.com.

Hop & Heritage Festival | September 26

Tickets are live at hopandheritage.com, and the 25th anniversary festival is coming together fast.

Early bird pricing on General Admission ends July 31. The Passport + Tasting Package is $20 now. On August 1, it goes up to $25.

First Pour VIP tickets are capped at 100, and they're already being claimed. $60 gets you early entry at 11 AM, a branded tasting glass, a festival T-shirt, a tasting notebook, extra tokens, and first access to the beer before anyone else. Once they're gone, they're gone.

Tickets are on sale now  hopandheritage.com/#tickets

The Downtown Passport is part of the festival experience. With your ticket, you'll pick up a passport and visit participating downtown businesses for small bites, samples, and experiences as you explore Independence throughout the day.

We need volunteers, and the perks are real.

Volunteer for a shift and you get a free festival tasting package (wristband, tasting glass, and tokens) to enjoy after your shift. Closing crew? Bring a growler. If there's beer left over at the end of the night, you're taking it home.

We're looking for help with setup, pouring, roaming, and teardown. Shifts are 2 to 3 hours, and you'll be part of building something special for Independence. Sign up here! 

Want to support the event? 

See sponsorship details at hopandheritage.com/#sponsors

Want to be a vendor? 

The C Street marketplace is filling up. If you've got a product, craft, or food you want to showcase, apply here. Slots are limited.

Follow along at @hopandheritagefestival on Instagram to see the pieces keep coming together.

Want to help plan it? Our planning meetings are the 2nd Thursday of every month at 5:30 PM at Parallel 45 Brewing. All are welcome.

Independence Days | July 3 & 4

Independence Days is back, run by the Friends of Community Parks. Two days of fireworks, the Rotary Club parade, live music, vendors, a plane flyover, the talent show, and the annual Duck Derby. Tickets are on sale now and any leftover proceeds get invested back into community parks.

Independence Days Tickets |  Mini Marathon Sign-Up

River's Edge Summer Series

The City of Independence just dropped the 2026 lineup for the River's Edge Summer Series, and it's a good one. Tribute nights for Beastie Boys, Stevie Nicks, AC/DC, Taylor Swift, ABBA, and more. The series kicks off June 26 with a free Movie in the Park and runs Friday nights through August 28.

Full lineup and tickets here 

What's Happening Downtown

Buckaroo Brew is officially open. The coffee shop that took over the Painted Pony location is up and running on Main Street. If you haven't stopped in yet, go welcome them to the block.

Damascus Kitchen is coming to Independence. The team behind Levantine (with locations in Salem and Dallas) is opening a new spot downtown. They're known for shawarma, gyros, and Middle Eastern food. Give them a follow at @damascus_kitchen_salem

Thinking about opening a business downtown? 

There are several storefronts available right now in the heart of downtown Independence. Most have contact information posted on the windows. If you've been considering it, now is a good time to take a walk down Main Street and see what's open.

Flower Baskets Are Up

If you've been downtown lately, you've probably noticed them. IDA's flower baskets are back on the lamp posts for the summer. They're one of the small things that make our downtown feel cared for, and they're funded entirely through IDA.

Independence Farmers Markets Are Open

Our two Saturday markets are officially in season.

The Original Independence Farmers Market Saturdays, 9 AM to 2 PM | Columbia Bank Parking Lot 

Riverview Saturday Market Saturdays, 9 AM to 3 PM | Riverview Park

Get out there, support local vendors, and enjoy market season.

IDA Needs Volunteers

IDA is 100% volunteer-run. Every event. Every heart on a lamp post. Every flower basket. Every email you're reading.

We need more people. Not just for event days, but for ongoing work like outreach, organizing, communications, and planning. Even a few hours a month makes a real difference in what we can do for our community.

Interested? Sign up here

Know someone who'd be great? Send them our way.

What's Coming Up

Every Saturday | Farmers Markets downtown 

June 16 | Last Day of School Celebration, Riverview Park, 3 to 5 PM 

June 26 | Movie in the Park (The Wild Robot), Riverview Park, FREE

July 3 & 4 | Independence Days + Mini Marathon

Fridays, July 10 through Aug 14 | River's Edge Summer Concert Series

September 26 | Hop & Heritage Festival 

October | Downtown Trick or Treat

One Thing We Need From You

Know someone who should be on this list? Forward this email to a neighbor, friend, or anyone who cares about what's happening in Independence. The more people in the loop, the stronger our downtown gets.

Questions? Ideas?

Just reply to this email. We check this inbox. If something's on your mind, we want to hear it.

Sydney and the IDA Board