Home to the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Southern Oregon’s theater community offers far more than the Bard’s plays. Any visitor to the area — whether it be for wine tasting in the Rogue Valley or enjoying nature — should check out one of the many venues dedicated to the art of the stage. You’ll find a medley of festivals each year, from classical Shakespeare to experimental productions and innovative new plays. Here are some of the must-see options in 2025. For even more theater and live music performances, check out the full range of events at The Rosebud Theater in Roseburg, The Ross Ragland Theater & Cultural Center in Klamath Falls and the newly restored Holly Theater in Medford.
Your Guide to Southern Oregon Stargazing
This area of cosmic wonder includes portions of Malheur, Lake and Harney counties to the east of larger Southern Oregon cities like Medford, Klamath Falls and Ashland. They are so sparsely populated that the region is also known as the Oregon Outback. And while much of the nighttime world grows brighter every year, as much as 11 million acres of Outback are on track to become an official Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2023. That would be the largest area of its kind, and good news not just for curious humans checking out the Milky Way but also for wildlife that needs the dark to thrive.