Member Profile: Macaroni KID Eugene

Curated by local mom Colleen Elliott, Macaroni KID Eugene is a family-focused platform that highlights kid-friendly events, activities, and businesses across Eugene and Springfield—all in one easy-to-navigate place. The Springfield Chamber spoke with Colleen about how her own search for activities as a stay-at-home parent led her to become the local publisher of this national network, and how Macaroni KID Eugene is making it easier for families to connect with their community, spend quality time together, and discover what’s happening right in their own backyard.

Tell us a little about Macaroni KID Eugene.
Macaroni KID is a national family-focused platform dedicated to sharing hyper-local events, activities, and resources for kids and families. Each edition is locally owned and operated, ensuring content is tailored to the community it serves. Macaroni KID Eugene focuses exclusively on family-friendly events, businesses, and activities happening in Eugene and Springfield, helping local families easily discover what’s going on right in their own backyard.

The website offers an event calendar featuring many events locally for children of all ages. I am also working on community sponsorships to host activities. During Christmas, I did a “12 Days of Giveaways” and it was nice to connect with both businesses and the community. I also have a weekly newsletter that includes articles about local businesses, crafts or other fun things. I am working on sending out subscriber-only freebies and updates as well!

How did you get started in your industry?
I have two daughters, a three year old and a six year old. I worked until my second daughter was born, so finding activities wasn’t too hard given I was working. However, once I became a stay-at-home mom, it became really difficult to find activities for us to do. I had to search on many different websites and started a calendar myself to keep track of everything.

My friends had commented how I always knew what was happening, and they were impressed by all the activities I knew about and brought my daughters to. We had tried to have a shared calendar between all of us but it got confusing with my own personal calendar. This summer when I got a notification that they were looking for a publisher in Eugene, I knew it was the perfect spot for me.

What services do you offer and what makes Macaroni KID Eugene different?
As I mentioned, it’s primarily an event calendar. However, I am working to expand my business directory to include many more businesses that benefit children in some way – preschools, doctors, summer camps, and more. I know that event calendars exist, but you have to weed through them to find kid-friendly activities; and summer camp guides exist, but they can be difficult to find. Macaroni KID takes all the guesswork out of it. Everything listed on the website is geared towards children. Need to find a doctor? Check out the directory. Wondering what activities are going on this weekend? Check the calendar.

What do you like most about your work?
Everything! I love being able to help other parents and caregivers easily find what they’re looking for. It takes the stress and time consumption of searching out, so you have more time to spend with your loved ones.