This Galentine’s is going to be batter than ever this year in downtown Corvallis. 

This Saturday you are going to want to drop what you are doughing and head downtown to join the Galentine’s Cookie Crawl at these nine participating businesses: 

• Seoul Sisters Boutique
• The Clothes Tree
• Burlap & Lace
• sarangHey! Kawaii and Anime
• Greenhouse Coffee & Plants 
• Inkwell Home Store
• 1972 Vintage Home Body
• The Golden Crane
• Second Glance

How the cookie crawl works is you pre-purchase a $12 box before Saturday from any of the stores listed above to participate.

This year all the cookie boxes were sold out by Feb. 7. 

At the cookie crawl you start with an empty box that you could either take with you when you pre-purchase it, or have the store hold the box for you until Saturday. 

On Saturday, you go to the store you pre-purchased your cookie box from and visit the rest of the stores to get one gourmet cookie or other goodies from each store.

By the end of the crawl you should end up with nine gourmet cookies in your box (or eat them as you go)! 

Last year, there were five stores involved in the crawl and they each had 10 boxes available per store. Due to its success last year, they now have nine shops participating with 15 boxes each.

There is no limit to how many boxes one individual can purchase at a time. 

According to Nicole Nystrom, owner of The Clothes Tree, the cookie crawl started last year as an event to invite people to come downtown post-pandemic and have fun. 

If you were not able to get your hands on a box, stores are still having Galentine’s and Valentine’s related promotions. If you head over to Inkwell Home Store, you could enjoy 20% off cookie decorating supplies.

The Golden Crane is having 15% off for everyone, a jewelry event happening on Saturday and cookie box holders will have an additional 10% off from any items over $40 in the store. 

Kaitlin Olkin, the marketing manager at Inkwell Home Store, said Inkwell will be providing decorated sugar cookies during the cookie crawl.

Inkwell Home Store and The Golden Crane are two of four new shops participating in the Galentine’s Cookie Crawl.

“We saw the event last year, and it looked like it was such a good time that we thought it would be fun to be able to participate this year,” Olkin said.

Regina Walker, co-owner of the Golden Crane joined because “We thought it would be a fun event,” Walker said. “The sense of comradery… and support between the other businesses is just fantastic.” 

The Golden Crane is getting heart-shaped sugar cookies with icing to provide for the cookie crawl. 

Why cookies? Cookies are not only a sweet treat you can eat on the go, but according to Nystrom it is a way to involve local bakers in this relatively new downtown tradition. 

These downtown retail shops are working together with bakers from Kell’s Coffee, University Hero, Cupcake Hooray from Philomath and many others to make this cookie crawl possible. 

Each store is responsible for purchasing their own cookies and each store is purchasing 135 cookies to give out on Saturday.

“Just the joy of being able to participate with other local businesses and build that community feel by having an event that goes from different places” Olkin said. “Plus there’s sweets involved.” 

Nystrom is going on her second year participating in the Galentine’s Cookie Crawl. 

Valentine’s is not the only holiday happening in February, and Corvallis downtown shops made sure those who were not coupled up did not feel excluded. 

“We called it a Galentine’s day event so it’s … a fun thing to do with your friends,” Nystrom said. 

Kourtni Rader, owner of Seoul Sisters and sarangHey! Kawaii and Anime, said they started the Galentine’s Cookie Crawl with other businesses to welcome people downtown for the Valentine’s season. 

“Regardless of your status, whether you are newly single, happily single, coupled or loving to be by yourself, you could do something fun downtown,” Rader said. “We’re celebrating them – their friendships.”

This year Rader is working with Kell’s Coffee (next door to Seoul Sisters) to make glitter chocolate strawberry on a stick and heart chocolates. 

For sarangHey! Kawaii and Anime, Rader is collaborating with University Hero to make giant cookies such as macadamia white chocolate cookies, chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodle cookies or M&M peanut butter cookies. 

Teresa Hutchinson, owner of Burlap & Lace, is also doing the cookie crawl for a second time as well. 

Hutchinson describes last year’s cookie crawl as having “a lot of upbeat energy.” 

Hutchinson is planning to provide heart-shaped sugar cookies from Cupcake Hooray!

Cindi Wells, a recurring participant of the Galentine’s Cookie Crawl, heard about it last year. 

“The best part about it is that we went to stores that we’ve never (been) to before,” Wells said. 

Wells did the cookie crawl with eight gals and used this day to have a girls day and explore downtown. 

Wells and her group of gals got shirts made that say “Don’t worry, just do the cookie crawl” with a crown on it made specifically for this cookie crawl. 

Last year Hutchinson joined the cookie crawl after another business suggested it to their local business group chat. 

Even though the Downtown Corvallis Association permanently dissolved last year, Corvallis downtown retail shops are working together to host events such as the Galentine’s Cookie Crawl. 

“Even if you’re not the biggest sweet person, the sweets that we provide are unique,” Rader said. “They’re from bakers that you may not know.”

Although this year there will be no gluten free or dairy free cookies and treats, this is something they will consider for future Galentine’s Cookie Crawls. 

“The main purpose is to have an event for people to do that’s fun and not very expensive,” Hutchinson said. “It’s also to hopefully to … give them an opportunity to find out what I have in the store, and each of the other stores, too.”

Rader and other retail shop owners are looking forward to hosting the Galentine’s Cookie Crawl in 2024. They typically start pre-selling the cookie boxes about three weeks prior to the event. Next year, Rader anticipates that there will be more boxes available to meet demands. 

To find out more about upcoming events in downtown Corvallis, Rader suggests following your favorite downtown shops on their social media pages, or checking out Corvallis Happenings and Corvallis Conversations on Facebook.

And that’s just how the cookie crumbles.