By Andrea Harvey and Emerson Malone
Although fewer than 5,000 people inhabit the quaint town of Veneta (about 15 miles west of Eugene) during most of the year, roughly 45,000 people from across the country are drawn to the area each year during the Oregon Country Fair, which takes place every second weekend of July.
Known for its eclectic musical acts, international food vendors, vaudeville performances, extravagant costumes and puppet shows, the 46th annual OCF takes place this weekend on July 10–12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Beats Antique, Bohemian Dub Orchestra, Moonalice and California Honeydrops are among the musical groups to perform on the OCF main stage during the three day festival.
Bus rides to the fairgrounds will be free on July 10, 11 and 12, since OCF has purchased the fare for the entire LTD system on these days. You don’t need to be going to the fair to ride the bus for free on these days; you can take it anywhere for free on the LTD system.
Though most fair attendees won’t arrive until the gates officially open to the public on Friday at 11 a.m., many volunteers have been there all week planning, preparing and building for the fair.
One of those volunteers is Jeff Geiger, an Illinois native and current Eugenian who fell in love with the fair four years ago after performing at the Morningwood Odditorium with the theater troupe No Shame Eugene.
Upon witnessing the fair’s rich bevy of offerings – 18 stages of entertainment, as well as more than 80 food vendors and hundreds of craft booths – Geiger decided then and there that he would come back every year, no matter how busy he was.
“It’s not like any other festival, concert, anything,” he said. “It’s like walking through a three day art performance, fully immersive community experience. It’s wild. There’s nothing like it.”
Geiger continued to rave about the fair for nearly ten uninterrupted minutes, an enthusiasm common among the volunteers – who call themselves the Fair Family – setting up in Veneta on Tuesday morning.
Geiger mostly helps out with the OCF’s philanthropic efforts, which is just one of the many things he says he loves about the fair and the organization. OCF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by a 12-member board of directors who strongly value community, art and the environment. OCF is also the sole owner and steward of the fairgrounds.
Geiger said the fair’s vibrant character and eccentricities can eclipse its charitable impact on Lane County, despite it being the bedrock upon which the fair was originally founded. In November 1969, the first fair (then called the “Oregon Renaissance Faire”) was hosted in Eugene as a neighborhood fundraising event for the Children’s Community School.
In the past 20 years alone, OCF has given back more than $1 million to communities within Lane County, with donations going to schools and nonprofit organizations, such as Food for Lane County, First Place Family Shelter and many more. For more info about OCF philanthropy and programs, or how you can participate in the cause, visit the OCF website’s philanthropy page.
This year, an extra six acres will be attached to the 446 acres of land already used for the fairgrounds. The new area, previously used for staff camping, will host large art installations, a new dance program, food courts and craft booths.
Later this year, OCF will have a new general manager, Tom Gannon, to overlook the fair’s multi-faceted curation. After shadowing the current GM this summer, Gannon, hired last month by the OCF Board of Directors, will take the reins as one of the six paid employees in the OCF organization this September. The Seattle native has been attending the fair and volunteering for more than 20 years.
“The first time I came to the fair I fell in love,” Gannon said. “I was like, ‘This is my second home,’ right away. It wasn’t long before I wanted to make it my first home. And I was finally given that opportunity when Charlie decided it was time to move on.”
Tickets are available for purchase in advance or on the day of the event, ranging from $23-29 for each day. They can be bought online, over the phone or at a variety of locations, including the UO Ticket Office currently located in the northwest corner of McArthur Court.
For a detailed event schedule, visit the OCF website’s entertainment section.