cherryfest nw

Last year, my oldest daughter and I started a new Independence Day tradition – the Stars & Stripes 5k in downtown Salem. This event also has a 10k and Military 5k, and is held in conjunction with the newly renovated Cherryfest NW – a 4-day extravaganza with carnival rides, food and beer, country music headliners, and even a cornhole tournament! But kicking off the summer holiday with 3.1 miles of running is always a good…

With my family taking a pre-Independence Day trip to Utah, we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to make it back for the inaugural Salem Stars and Stripes 4th of July Run,which started and finished at the amphitheater at Riverfront Park. Luckily for us, we pulled ourselves out of bed on the 4th of July and made our way to the event. Like I mentioned in my preview, this year’s race coincided with the…