Along the Street: New El Torito market opening soon in Mac

Work continues on the new El Torito market on Highway 99W near the Baker Street Y. Manager Ricardo Lopez said he’s hoping the Mexican supermarket will open around Christmas, but that depends on completing final details and safety inspections.

El Torito is part of regional chain with stores in Woodburn, Salem and several other cities. Owners Liliana Perez and Alfredo Mendez of Salem also have a small market in McMinnville, El Rancho, located at 532 S.E. Baker St.

The new store is in a 14,209-square-foot building that previously held the Sears Hometown store, and before that a furniture store and Thriftway market. El Torito will sell a full range of Mexican food and groceries, along with cooking utensils and other products. It includes a café and seating area, as well.

Look for more in a future issue of the News-Register.

Bitter Monk hosts new brew fest

A new festival will add holiday cheer to downtown McMinnville this weekend, Dec. 19-21, during the inaugural Wonderland Brew Fest.

The Bitter Monk is hosting the event outside the tap room on Cowls Street between Second and Third streets.

A curated selection of local and international seasonal beers and ciders will be served. Visit McMinnville is sponsoring the event that will also include live music, food and local vendors.

The festival will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to six p.m. Sunday. The event is 21-and-over only. Tickets are $33.85 for one day, $60.54 for two days or $81.88 for a weekend pass. Entry includes a Wonderland Brew Fest mug and five tasting tokens.

For more information, including the lineup of music acts, or to purchase tickets, visit wonderlandbrewfest.com.

Unemployment rate rising

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 5% in August and 5.2% in September, according to the Oregon Employment Department.

The state rate has been increasing since it hit a low of 3.6% in the spring of 2023. It is higher than the U.S. unemployment rate, which was 4.3% in August and 4.4% in September.

OED said the release of data was postponed until early December because of “a significant delay due to the federal government shutdown.”

Employment gained 3,500 jobs in August. In September 2025, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment rose by 3,300 jobs, mostly in health care and social assistance, construction and professional and business services. The largest loss was in the financial activities sector.

Over the past year, September 2024 to September 2025, the largest growth was in health care and social assistance. The sector added 11,400 jobs, or 3.7%.

Construction employment was down slightly, 1.4%, compared with the two prior summers.

Professional and business services added 700 in September, rising to 253,700, but the sector has lost jobs since its peak of 268,900 jobs in March 2023.

Cutbacks were seen this year in administrative and waste services, which lost 4,900 jobs or 4.8%; professional and technical services, which lost 2,300 jobs or 2.1%; and management of companies and enterprises, which lost 1,000 jobs or 2%.

Manufacturing also slipped by 200 jobs in September. It is down 9,600 jobs, or 5.1%, since September 2024. Both durable goods manufacturing and nondurable goods manufacturing are down close to 5%.

Brooks Wine hosts ‘Sip & Savor’

Brooks Wine in the Amity-Eola Hills will host “Sip & Savor: A Dry January Experience” next month.

The conference will bring together producers of non-alcoholic wines, chefs, sommeliers, arts and authors. In addition to wines, they will discuss beers, teas, cocktails and spirits for those who choose not to drink alcohol.

“Sip and Savor” will be Jan. 9 to 11, at Brooks Wine, 21101 S.E. Cherry Blossom Lane.

It will start Friday, Jan. 9, with a four-course, family-style dinner led by Chef Chauncey Roach with Chef Jason French. Each dish will be paired with curated nonalcoholic wines. A nonalcoholic cocktail reception will give guests a chance to meet producers and learn about the beverages. Cost is $95.

On Saturday, “Beyond Proof: The Art & Soul of Non-Alcoholic Craft Beverage” will include tastings, panels, demonstrations and vendor showcases from nonalcoholic producers.

A panel will discuss nonalcoholic beverages, and another will discuss cooking, wellness and “modern drinking culture.” A producer showcase and another cocktail hour also are planned. Cost is $55.

Sunday brunch will feature seasonal dishes from Chef Roach, paired with nonalcoholic wines and nonalcoholic mimosas.

Weekend passes also are available for $175, which includes gratuities and a welcome gift.

Brooks also will launch a month-long nonalcoholic wine flight trail and passport in January. Each participating winery will offer passport holders discounted nonalcoholic wine flights and wine purchases. Passports will be available at participating wineries, including Brooks, Varnum Vintners, Artist Block Wine and Croft Vineyards.

For more information and reservations, go to visit brookswine.com.

Pizza on menu soon in Lafayette

Mikey’s Pizza soon will open its newest location, Mandie’s, at 416 E. Third St, Lafayette.

Mike Howard, who owns the local chain of pizzerias and arcades with his wife, Mandie, said he hopes to open by Christmas. He’s unsure that will happen, but the opening definitely will be “soon.”

The Lafayette location will be the only pizza parlor in Lafayette. The Howards also own Mikey’s Pizza at 835 N.E. Highway 99W in McMinnville, Retro Pizza in Amity and Joysticks Arcade on Third Street in McMinnville.

All offer similar menus of sandwiches, pizzas and snacks, but each has items unique to the location, Mike Howard said.

They also feature big screen TVs and video games from his collection of vintage machines. For more information, go to mikeys-pizzeria.com.

Look for more about the new restaurant and its opening date in next week’s News-Register.

Hotel will mark New Year’s Eve

McMenamins Hotel Oregon will host a New Year’s Eve party starting at 8 p.m. Dec. 31. The show will begin at 9 o’clock and last until 2026.

Admission is $23 in advance or $28 on the day of the event.

In addition, the hotel is offering packages that include a room, two sparkling wine flutes and bottled water, in addition to the party.

For more information and reservations, go to www.mcmenamins.com.

LucidWild donates to school

LucidWild Estate, a family-operated, single-vineyard estate winery in the Dundee Hills, donated $5,000 to Dundee Elementary School through its “LucidWild Gives Back” charitable initiative.

Winery owners visited the school Dec. 2, Giving Tuesday, to present the money. In November, the winery pledged a percentage of all sales of its estate Fusion Pinot Noir for local youth education.

The proceeds will provide academic resources and support programs for Dundee students.

Tim Wright, principal at Dundee Elementary, said the donation will make “an immediate, tangible impact on our students.” He called it “a wonderful example of local business dedication to the success of the next generation of future leaders.”

Last Greeters of 2025 scheduled

State Rep. Lucetta Elmer will host the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce Greeters program on Friday, Dec. 19. The gathering will meet from 8 to 9 a.m. upstairs above Cornerstone Coffee, Third and Davis streets in McMinnville.

In Newberg, WorkSource Oregon will host the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce Greeters program from 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 19. The location will be the Portland Community College Newberg Center, 135 Werth St., Newberg.

To submit items for consideration in Along the Street, email Starla Pointer at spointer@newsregister.com.