Though few polar plunges are as well-appointed as the informal event on this week’s cover, there is still time to make a bracing start to 2026 at two upcoming cold-water dunks.

Two new shows will open at the Lincoln City Cultural Center this Friday, Jan. 9, with the group exhibition “The Telephone Game II” in the Chessman Gallery and “Energy and Movement,” an art quilt show by Patricia Caldwell in the Fiber Arts Studio Gallery.

High-energy bluegrass and newgrass will take the stage at the Lincoln City Cultural Center this Saturday, Jan. 10, as Moon Mountain String Band brings its dynamic acoustic sound to the coast.

Birders of all experience levels will have a chance to start the new year outdoors as Seven Capes Bird Alliance leads two guided bird walks in early January, highlighting winter birds and accessible local habitats.

What school building has the most stories? The library.

Which instructor always has the correct answer? The English teacher — because they’re always write.

Experience the sweeping drama and vocal brilliance of Vincenzo Bellini’s final opera “I Puritani,” presented live in high definition at the Newport Performing Arts Center this Saturday, Jan. 10.

A free Sunday afternoon chamber concert will bring professional and student musicians together at Atonement Lutheran Church in Newport this Sunday, Jan. 11

A high-energy Silent Disco dance party will turn the Newport Performing Arts Center into a glowing, interactive dance floor this Saturday, Jan. 10, offering guests a chance to dance entirely to their own beat.

Your guide to everything fun to see and do on the Central Oregon Coast

Your guide to live music on the Central Oregon Coast

As the Finders Keepers glass float program enters its 26th year, Lincoln City is refocusing the beloved tradition on what has always made it special: the quiet thrill of discovering something beautiful and handmade along the open coast.

With the start of a new year comes the perfect opportunity to try something new, and Oregon Coast Community College is once again offering a slate of engaging Community Education classes designed to help you do just that.

Driving rhythms and contemporary Celtic sound will take the stage as Dallahan launches its first United States tour in more than a decade with a performance at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on Thursday, Jan. 8.

The Corps of Discovery made history in more ways than one, when, under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, the group of United States Army and civilian volunteers trekked through the Louisiana Purchase, all the way to near modern-day Astoria.     

Eighty-four years ago, during the first week of December 1941, the number one song in America was “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller and his orchestra.

Hands-on creative learning returns to the Newport Visual Arts Center this month, with a wide-ranging schedule of classes, workshops and open studio sessions designed for artists of all skill levels.

Your guide to live music in the holiday season.

Your guide to everything happening during the festive period.

It’s an opportunity for reflection in the midst of the New Year’s celebration, a look back on a difficult past and a hopeful look forward to the future.

Like to start the new year by getting outside and getting a good workout? Take a nice hike at a beautiful spot or go full speed at a race that ends in the Pacific Ocean, if you dare.