Viesia Balint said Greengable Gardens isn't usually open on Sunday, but this weekend, they'll be selling flowers and showing off pumpkins for the Bounty of Benton County.

"I hope lots of people will come and know where we are," Balint said. "For publicity, every little bit helps."

The event, a fundraiser for Strengthening Rural Families, is a self-guided traveling tour of 14 rural Benton County wineries, farms and other destinations. A $10 "passport" will provide attendees with tastings, items or discounts at the various locales.

For example, Greengable Gardens has $5 worth of daffodil bulbs for each passport holder. "Now is the time to plant spring bulbs," Valint said.

Her business also is hoping to spread the word about its new U-pick pumpkin patch, which has 58 varieties.

Artist Lauren Wingert, the owner of Gateway Gallery in Philomath, also hopes to draw more attention to her business through the Bounty of Benton County, and she's providing a 10 percent discount on any purchase.

"I'd like to go on the tour, but I'm stuck here manning my own gallery," Wingert laughed.

Strengthening Rural Families, which is based in Philomath, offers parental education classes, health fairs and other programs in rural Benton County. It also serves as an outreach for agencies based in Corvallis that help families.

Last year, Strengthening Rural Families helped more than 1,000 individuals, said director Andrea Myhre.

Myhre said the nonprofit is grant-based, and the Bounty of Benton County will help it diversify its funding sources. "You can't depend on grants forever," Myhre said.

Myhre said the fundraising event also is a way to showcase the communities she regularly works with.

"It's amazing how many people don't know about all the really cool places to go in our county," she said.

All of the money from the passports goes to support Strengthening Rural Families, and Myhre hopes $4,000 or more is raised.

The Bounty of Benton County runs from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. A kickoff concert, featuring Bon Ton Roulet, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Tyee Wine Cellars. (Myhre and singer-guitarist Sam Holmes will be the opening act.) The cost is $7 for those without a passport.

Passports can be purchased at Corvallis Tourism and all of the tour sites.

The tour sites, many of which will have live music, are Emerson Vineyards, Sunrise Tree Farm, Beazell Memorial Forest, Lumos Wine Company, Harris Bridge Vineyard, the Benton County Historical Museum, the Wine Vault, Gateway Gallery, Spindrift Cellars, Greengable Gardens, the Alsea anagama wood-fired kiln, John Boy's Alsea Mercantile, the Alsea Fish Hatchery, Tyee Wine Cellars and Hazelnut Hill.

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.

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