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Festival, July 25-28, 2024
WHAT'S NEW
Grand Parade Marshal 2024!We are so excited to announce that the board and committee for the Newberg Old Fashioned Festival have unanimously selected Tom and Linda Vondrachek as this year’s Grand Parade Marshal!!!
Tom and Linda were kind enough to take time out of their day and reminisce about the good ole days, right from where it all began…Jem100. Jem100 is a local icon and landmark. If you ask anyone from the Newberg area where Jem100 is they will tell you, “Oh, that’s the little diner right off of Main St. right by Papa Murphy’s Pizza.” Originally named Jewell100 Ice Cream Saloon, owner Dennis Day staked its claim in 1979, but would later change the name to Jem100 due to business logistics. In 1989, new owners Tom and Linda Vondrachek purchased the business and have not looked back. Having recently retired at the end of March, we are looking back at some of the highlights of Tom and Linda and their time at Jem100, Tom attributes his start under the wings of Craig Banning, who at the time was the owner of J’s Restaurant. Craig hired him and started him as a dishwasher. Tom worked hard, learned the ropes of the restaurant business, and slowly worked his way up to cook and then managed for nine years. After some time, Craig approached Tom and told him that he had taught him all that he could and that there wasn’t much further he could go. Tom was welcome to stay as long as he wanted, but he had aspirations of wanting to go out on his own. And so, with the help and guidance from Craig, he helped Tom with his next journey of purchasing a restaurant of his own. Only been married for six years and with two children and then later a third, Tom and Linda went out on faith and purchased Jem100. Just starting out, there were a lot of long hours at the restaurant. There were many nights where Linda stayed home taking care of the home and kids, and Tom would come home late. He reflects that when he got home the kids would pretend that they were all asleep under the covers. When asked about another fond memory that Tom and Linda had they did not hesitate and recalled, “It’s all of the parades!” Throughout all of the years, it is the parades that they really loved seeing and being a part of. They shared about a time when the nephews were in the parade and they were all dressed up as little ice cream cones with Jem100 signs on the front. The Vondracheks did not have to dig too deep to talk about one the most challenging seasons for them at Jem100…COVID 19. COVID 19 did a number on everyone and did no favors to build the economy. It was a tough season because for the first time in Jem100’s history, Tom had to do the toughest thing in his career and that was to lay off almost half of his staff. He said that was heart wrenching and extremely stressful! But, nonetheless, Tom, his staff, and his surrounding support system stayed strong, loyal, and continued to persevere. Through COVID, Tom and his crew learned to adapt! With the ever-changing guidelines for businesses and public spaces, Jem100 became innovative with how they were going to safely service their customers. And it is because of their resilience that they came out stronger than before. Reflecting over the last 35 years, Tom and Linda commented on what kept them going and they simply proclaimed, “It was the customers that would faithfully come in every day and it was the community that had our backs and continued to support us.” Tom paused, “I just loved flipping burgers and loved seeing the smiles on the customer’s face! I especially loved my staff and loved working with them and being around them.” It is always great to get retrospective wisdom from someone who has been in the industry for so long. And so when inquired about what fruits of knowledge he can pass along Tom simply affirmed, “Have a business plan.” He continued, “If you go into a business with the idea that you are going to just wing it, then you are going to fail. But, when you have a plan, you will meet your goals. Therefore, you have a benchmark to achieve and know how and where to improve.” It’s hard not to get teary eyed when you think of the legacy that Tom and Linda have built over the last 35 years with Jem100. EVERYONE knows Jem100 and Newberg is so lucky to have that “diamond in the rough” in our community. Their involvement in the community and their humble kindness is the very reason why they are the perfect pick to be the Grand Parade Marshal! Congratulations Tom and Linda…well deserved!!! "LIGHTS, CAMERA, FESTIVAL"Royal Court 2024 Selected!!!
Vendor Application is OPEN!!!The vendor application is now open. We had such an amazing vendor turnout last year and we are exciting to have you all back again this year. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Vendor Coordinator at: [email protected]
Annual Tree Lighting CeremonyA HUGE Thank You!!!From the bottom of our hearts, we cannot begin to express the gratitude that we have for all of you who came out and enjoyed the festival. We believe that the festival is what helps bring the community(s) together and we certainly could not have been done without your support.
Therefore, thank you for your continued support in making this long-standing annual event such a great success!!! We appreciate you all!!! Sincerely, Newberg Old Fashioned Festival Board, Committee, and Volunteers “Small Town, BIG Dreams” |