Three locations, two Fridays and one closely scheduled downtown afternoon will make up the latest round of ribbon-cutting ceremonies organized by the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce.
The upcoming events will recognize the reopening of the renovated pool at the Grants Pass Family YMCA, the completion of work at the Owl Parking Lot and the opening of The Way Pottery on Sixth Street. The first ceremony is scheduled for Friday, September 25, followed by two more on Friday, October 2.
The Chamber will begin at 11 a.m. September 25 at the Grants Pass Family YMCA, 1000 Redwood Avenue. The ceremony will commemorate the completion of renovations to the YMCA’s indoor pool and its reopening for community use.
YMCA staff, Chamber representatives and community members will gather at the Redwood Avenue facility for the formal ribbon cutting. The completed renovation returns the pool to the organization’s recreational schedule shortly before a new session of youth swimming lessons begins September 28.
The pool has long supported aquatic recreation and swimming instruction for children, adults and families. Its reopening continues the work of an organization that has served Grants Pass since 1983 through health, fitness, youth and educational programs.
The Chamber’s next two ceremonies will take place one week later in downtown Grants Pass, with only one hour separating the events.
The October 2 schedule will begin at 4 p.m. at the Owl Parking Lot, located at the corner of Fifth and H streets. The ribbon cutting will celebrate the reopening of the renovated downtown property and recognize its new ability to function as both a public parking area and a setting for community activities.
The familiar parking location has been reintroduced as Owl Plaza, creating a place that can continue serving downtown motorists while also accommodating scheduled gatherings. The ceremony will formally mark the completion of the site’s transformation and welcome the property into its expanded community role.
Following the 4 p.m. gathering, the Chamber will move to The Way Pottery at 413 SE Sixth Street for a second ribbon cutting at 5 p.m.
The ceremony will welcome The Way Pottery as a new member of the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce and celebrate the business’s opening in the downtown commercial district.
The Way Pottery occupies a storefront along Sixth Street, placing the new business within walking distance of the Owl Parking Lot ceremony. The address was previously associated with The Music Shop, a longtime Grants Pass business that operated from the location for decades.
Scheduling the two downtown ceremonies consecutively will allow attendees to participate in both gatherings, beginning at Fifth and H streets before continuing to Sixth Street. The events will bring Chamber members and residents together first for the opening of a renovated public property and then for the welcome of a new downtown business.
The Chamber’s three-event schedule opens at 11 a.m. Friday, September 25, at the Grants Pass Family YMCA. It continues Friday, October 2, at 4 p.m. at the Owl Parking Lot and concludes at 5 p.m. at The Way Pottery.