Center 50+ At 50: Mobile Activities Play A Growing Role (Photo) - 06/24/26

• WOW Vans Salem’s mobile senior centers reach seniors throughout the community
• The Portland Road Center 50+ still offers many activities and events for the community

Salem, Ore. – Center 50+ marks its 50^th anniversary in 2026. Let’s celebrate!

Since it opened as the Salem Senior Center in 1976, Center 50+ has been an important place for older adults in Salem. The Center supports healthy aging and helps people stay active and involved throughout life. Over the years, the Center has grown into a trusted community leader. It also supports the City Council’s goal of creating a welcoming and livable community for people of all ages.

In 1994, the City created the Senior Center Advisory Commission, which later became the Center 50+ Advisory Commission. This commission helps older adults share their ideas and concerns. It also helps guide services and speak up for the needs of older adults.

50^th Anniversary Events

This year, Center 50+ is planning monthly events to celebrate its half-century. Check out the Center 50+ Activities & Special Events calendar as more details become available.

• Saturday, June 27 – Center 50+ Energy & Resource Fair
• Friday, July 10 – Activity Fair
• Friday, August 21 – Summer Luau at River Park
• Saturday, September 12 –Boot Scoot & Brew at Riverfront Park
• Thursday, October 22 – Ageism Awareness Month presentation at Willamette University featuring Ashton Applewhite
• Friday, October 30 – Time, Talent, Treasure & Treat Fair
• Sunday, November 15 – Fall Brunch
• Tuesday, December 3 – Respite Art Show

Mobile senior centers

In recent years, Center 50+ has increased its efforts to reach out to the community with its WOW (Wellness on Wheels) vans. These mobile senior centers are out at various locations in Salem on weekdays, bringing a variety of services to people 50 and older. Visits from the award-winning Wellness on Wheels vans include fitness, nutrition, mobility and wellness programing, activities, lifelong learning, social check-ins and technology tutoring.

Themed weekly visits

• Mondays: Explore and Create, 10-11:30 a.m. (there’s a $3 drop-in fee for art). Engage in watercolor painting, simple art projects, guided nature walks and occasional cultural outings designed to inspire curiosity and foster connections.
• Tuesdays: Fitness in the Park 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., all-level fitness class at consistent monthly locations.

• Wednesdays and Thursdays: A recent addition to the WOW van fleet is the new Connection Kitchen, which serves hot noon meals at local 55-and-older Mobile Home Parks and independent living communities. The kitchen rotates between 13 locations including Salem Housing Authority and 55-and-older Mobile Home Parks throughout the month.
• Fridays: Intergenerational Play and Neighborhood Connections, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., visiting all of Salem’s seven splash fountains.

Check out the WOW Van web page to find out where WOW Vans and the Connection Kitchen will be each week. Center 50+ is also around the community in a variety of other ways. Check out the Center 50+ Summer 2026 Program Guide for more details.

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