Hello and Happy Friday! Today I’d like to share with you our holiday in the town of Ashland, Oregon where we visited to see the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF). The OSF were celebrating 90 years of the festival this past July 3rd!

A quaint little town where the main purpose of the visit is to watch plays

Ashland is a little town on the border of Northern California and Southern Oregon. A beautiful scenic village where the main purpose of the visit is to see as many plays as you want.

Celebrating 90 years of Oregon Shakespeare Festival

On July 3rd as our show Into the Woods was about to start we were informed that on that exact day 90 years ago Oregon Shakespeare Festival performed their first show in this exact outdoor theater.

So, how did we get into seeing plays in the little town of Ashland, Oregon?

Anjali and Rani’s high school took their theater and English students who were interested on an annual field trip for three days to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Here they watched two plays a day, attended workshops, and writing classes.

These high school field trips made an indelible impression on Anjali who loves theater, that she has wanted to go back ever since.

Anjali planned our July 4th getaway to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival including what plays to watch on what day, dinner and brunch reservations, and even the selection of our Inn, where we stayed . It was the perfect relaxing and enjoyable time in Ashland, Oregon.

Two plays a day are performed every day in Ashland.

Here theatre aficionados come to binge watch plays. That’s what my daughter Anjali wanted to do when she planned our July 4th holiday in Ashland, Oregon. She watched 5 plays in 3 days!! We watched 3 plays in 3 days.

Into the Woods playing at the historic outdoor theater

The shows we watched

Into the Woods

The Importance of Being Earnest

As You Like It

Jitney

Julius Caesar

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

OSF is a nine month festival where renowned plays are performed during the season from March to November. A playbill with information on all the plays and dates they are performing is published at the beginning of the season. Then all you do is plan your trip to come Ashland and watch as many plays as you want, all in one little town.

Have brunch, see a play. Have an early dinner, see a play. Repeat for as many days as you want.

“Which play are you seeing today?” “Have you seen this play?” These are the types of conversations you’ll have with other patrons at restaurants and the wait staff 😃 in Ashland.

OSF not just Shakespeare Plays

If you are like me and assumed that only Shakespeare plays are shown at the Oregon Shakespeare festival – not so! Contrary to what I assumed, actually all genre of plays are put on at the festival including musicals.

Did you know next to Broadway, OSF is the most prestigious for actors to participate in. In fact, many actors move on to act in Broadway shows once they’ve had a successful run at OSF.

OSF in Ashland Downtown

Ashland is a cute little town with a walking downtown where the main theaters are located. Outstanding restaurants, cafes and coffee shops dot the downtown strip.

One can even detour and go wine tasting in the small wine country on the outskirts of Ashland.

With beautiful views of the hills and perfect Pacific Northwest weather, Ashland is a charming town to visit, watch a few plays, relax, enjoy the dining scene, and even bask in vineyards. Really, the perfect formula for a relaxing few days.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon