2026 Oregon Heritage Conference:
Stories, Culture, Place - Weaving Community Heritage
April 29-May 2, Woodburn
The Oregon Heritage Conference brings together people who share a common passion for Oregon’s heritage and history to share insights, understand connections, develop relationships, learn new ways to address issues and opportunities, reinforce the value of the work, and leave energized to keep moving forward.
Designed to be interdisciplinary and cross-pollenating, the conference focuses on all sectors of cultural heritage, such as historic preservation, museums, archives, libraries, Main Streets, historic cemeteries, archaeology, Tribes, genealogy, public history, and local, state, federal government.
Communities are complex and varied, how they are viewed by visitors and residents is informed by the long history of human experience in that place and their own experiences. The 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference will explore the intersection of stories, culture and place to develop community heritage. This heritage is the anchor for participation, economic development, connection, and possibilities for a vibrant and healthy community.
Conference partners include the City of Woodburn & Oregon Museums Association.
Monica Rhodes
The Next Assignment: Why the Future Will Ask More of Us
April 29, 2026, 4:45 - 5:45 p.m.
Mt. Angel Festhalle, 500 Wilco Hwy NE, Mt. Angel
Included in Oregon Heritage Conference Registration or register to attend only this session.
Monica Rhodes is an internationally recognized cultural heritage leader whose work is redefining how our nation understands memory and the future of historic places. She is the Founder of Rhodes Heritage Group, a cultural strategy firm pioneering new approaches at the intersection of people, place, story, and capital.
Rhodes created the first nationwide program designed to open the preservation field to new audiences and restructured legacy funding models to honor the full breadth of American history. Her leadership has protected some of the country’s most iconic sites, engaged millions of visitors, and expanded who has the power to shape the past.
A Rome Prize Fellow and Harvard Loeb Fellow, Rhodes has advised the White House as an Expert Member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, shaping federal policy on cultural heritage and public storytelling. She also serves on the board of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, contributing to global conversations, standards and collaborative models that guide the field.
Her work and insights have been featured in major outlets, including The Washington Post, Essence, Architectural Digest, CBS, PBS NewsHour, and This Old House. Through Rhodes Heritage Group and her speaking engagements, she advances a bold vision for cultural preservation as a catalyst for civic innovation, global exchange, and shared prosperity. She positions history as a strategic resource for shaping the next fifty years, inviting communities, institutions, and international partners to imagine new futures through the lens of a shared past.
Oregon Humanities
Consider This: Labor, Farmworker Organizing, and Histories of Indigenous Communities in Oregon
April 30, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Mt. Angel Theaater Studio, 220 E Charles St, Mt. Angel
Reserve your required, free tickets at the Oregon Humanities calendar page.
Joaquín Lara Midkiff moderates this conversation with three panelists with deep experience and commitment with this topic and the region. The conversation will illuminate the many ways that the mid-Willamette Valley has been home to powerful farmworker and solidarity movements that transformed the lives of migrant laborers and reshaped Oregon's political and economic landscape.
Schedule is still in progress and subject to change.
Join us in downtown Woodburn!
Thanks for conference partners City of Woodburn and Oregon Museums Association.
April 29, 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
- Workshops
- Oregon Main Street Network Meeting
- Oregon Heritage MentorCorps Meeting
- Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries Meeting
At Mt. Angel!
- Conference Plenary Session - Monica Rhodes
- Explore downtown Mt. Angel
- Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards
April 30, 8:15 a.m. - 9:00 p.m
- Sessions
- Tours
- Networking Meet-Ups
- Oregon Museums Association Resource Fair & Oregon Heritage Conference Opportunity Hall
- Reception hosted by the City of Woodburn
- Oregon Humanities, Consider This!
- Oregon Museums Association Reception
May 1, 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Sessions
- Tours
- Networking Meet-Ups
May 2, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Cemetery Preservation Workshop
Draft Session Descriptions - TBA
Schedule-At-A-Glance - TBA
For info contact Kuri Gill, 503-986-0685, Kuri.gill@oprd.oregon.gov.
More details to come! Join the weekly heritage news listserv for conference updates.
Registration opens February!
- If you are a student you get 40% off, use this link.
Registration Rates
| | Early Bird - until 3/20/26
| Regular - until 4/21/26
| Last Minute - until 4/29/26
|
Full Conference
| $150 | $180 | $300 |
Excellence Awards Only
| $60 | $80 | $100 |
Weds Only
| $75 | $100 | $200 |
Thurs Only
| $100 | $120 | $200 |
Fri Only
| $75 | $100 | $200 |
| Monica Rhodes Only | $25 | $30 | $50 |
Cemetery Workshop Only
| $5 | $5 | $5 |
Venues
Woodburn
- Woodburn Historical Museum - 455 N Front St, registration & homebase
- Bungalow Theater - 455 N Front St, snacks & sessions
- Woodburn Public Library - 280 Garfield St, sessions
- Woodburn City Hall - 270 Montgomery St, sessions
- Woodburn Area Chamber of Commerce - 124 W Lincoln St, sessions
- Chemeketa Community College - 120 E Lincoln, workshops
- Woodburn Masonic Hall - 145 Aurthur St, OMA event
Mt Angel
- Mt Angel Festhalle - 500 Wilco Hwy NE, Conference Kick-off & Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards
- Mt Angel Theater Studio, 220 E Charles St
Parking
See conference program for details and map.
Lodging
Best Western Woodburn - 2980 Tom Tennant Dr, Woodburn
Use this link to reserve conference rate room of $144 +tax.
La Quinta Inn & Suites - 120 N Arney Rd, Woodburn
Use this link to reserve conference rate room of $121 +tax.
Oregon Garden Resort - 895 W Main St, Silverton
About 20 minutes to Woodburn
Silverton Inn & Suites - 310 N Water St, Silverton
About 20 minutes to Woodburn
Best Western Wilsonville - 29769 SW Boones Ferry Rd
About 17 minutes to Woodburn
Woodburn Highlights
We will be exploring Woodburn with plenty of time for historic stops, shopping, food and networking. Check out more information here.
Join the weekly heritage news listserv for conference announcements. If you'd like to join our listserv to receive a postcard notifying you when registration opens, send your name and address to katie.henry@oprd.oregon.gov.
Join friends and colleagues for the annual Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards! Awards will be presented to individuals, organizations, and projects that have made the most of their available resources to contribute to preserving Oregon's heritage.
Find more info here.
The awards event is part of the full conference registration or you can register for the awards event only. The event will be held April 29, 6pm-9pm.