Best Category We Should Have Included and Who Should Win

Best Group Activity

Board and Brush 303 S. 5th Street, Ste. 153, Springfield. BoardandBrush.com/SpringfieldOR.

“This is not your Mama’s DIY,” according to Kelly Warren, the primary instructor at Board & Brush. Sip on a glass of wine, a cold beer or bring your own alcohol of choice as you put your hands to work creating a one-of-a-kind art decor piece.

Located in Springfield, Board and Brush teaches people how to create their own wooden wall decor sign. With more than 400 designs to choose, crafters can make signs to remember a special day or event, such as an anniversary or children’s birthdays; it’s an activity for the whole family, a bachelorette party, a business party and more.

Even if you have never picked up a hammer in your life, don’t fret. Warren says the best part of the class is that everyone walks away with something tangible to take home and a feeling of accomplishment.

Best Burlesque

Unveiled Eugene’s Queer Burlesque Eugenesqueerburlesque@gmail.com.

“When we hit that stage, we care about our audience’s experience and consent to giving our all,” says Mrs. Tawdry Hepburn, an Unveiled performer using her stage name. Unveiled’s main message in its performances is to promote and highlight the importance of consent.

Performing every second Saturday of the month at Spectrum, Unveiled shows range in topic from serious issues that impact the queer community to numbers addressing current events or problems in our society.

A group of about 16 performers make up Unveiled, and the performers are people with real bodies ranging in size and shape, and real experiences that people can relate to.

“A lot of what we hear is how many people feel seen and heard in performances,” Hepburn says.

Best Alternative Sport

Eugene Reign Women’s Rugby Club EugeneWomensRugby.com.

Eugene’s Reign Women’s Rugby Club is a team of women committed to empowering their community in the greater Eugene-Springfield area through an opportunity for an active lifestyle.

“Our team is an incredibly diverse, supportive, fun and amazing group of people. We come from all walks of life but what unites us is our love for rugby,” says Reign team member Kata Bahnsen-Reinhardt.

Playing opponents from Bend to Boise, Idaho, and Olympia, Washington, the women’s rugby team travels across the Pacific Northwest to compete. “Our team is known across the league as having a great attitude and being so much fun,” Bahnsen-Reinhard says.

Reign competes from September to October in the fall season and from March to the beginning of April for the spring season.

“We’re here for each other in rucks, mauls, tackles, scrums, line outs, etc., and off the field,” Bahnsen-Reinhard adds.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!