Culture

Theatre

Six well-established community theaters - Coos Bay's On Broadway Thespians, Egyptian Theatre off Hwy 101 Coos Bay, North Bend's Little Theatre on the Bay, Waterfront Players, Hofferber Repertory Theatre in Charleston, the Bandon Playhouse and the Lakeside Theatre Company provide year-round performances.  Complementing them are frequent readers' theatre offerings.  The Sawdust Theatre in Coquille entertains audiences each summer with its popular melodrama and olio's.  Area high schools offer a number of student productions each year.Egyptian Theatre

Museums

The Coos Art Museum features a variety of special showings annually, housing a permanent collection, a Steve Prefontaine memorabilia display, and a student art gallery.  The museum also offers classes at its downtown Coos Bay location.  A dozen or so private art galleries in the area feature paintings, photographs, pottery, jewelry and other unique art objects.  The local libraries hold regular exhibits of local artists. 

Coos County museums include the Coos County Historical Society Museum in North Bend, the Marshfield Sun Printing Museum in Coos Bay, the Bandon Historical Society Museum in Bandon, the Umpqua Discovery Center in Reedsport, and the Coos County Logging Museum  in Myrtle Point. 

Also, the Coos County Cultural Coalition, a group organized for the purpose of preserving, protecting and developing the arts, heritage and humanities in Coos County through periodic distribution of grant monies to qualified applicants

Music

The Oregon Coast Music Association and the Southcoast Dixieland Clambake Jazz Festival brings national and international music and dance groups to the area.  Additional offerings throughout the area include visits from the Oregon Symphony, the Eugene Symphony and other ensembles.  Performers and venues ranging from national acts at The Mill Casino to local groups playing jazz, rock and country music in many locations augment the lively music scene. Also, Coos County Community Concert Association, has the dates, times, and location of concerts available for public use.

Other

Numerous annual festivals, which draw thousands of locals and visitors, include Coos Bay's Blackberry Arts Festival and Fun Festival, Bandon's Cranberry Festival, Oregon Shorebird Festival, Ocean Festival, Food & Wind Extravaganza, Coquille's Gay 90's celebration and Charleston's Seafood Festival. 

Shore Acres State Park

South of Charleston, the site of some of the most incredible botanical gardens found anywhere, hosts artists, and photographers' workshops and displays during the year.  The spectacular annual Holiday Lights and Open House, featuring approximately 225,000 lights in a walk-through Christmas wonderland, is open from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.