Take a walk on the wild side — take a stroll down 13th Avenue.
For the next three days, the sights, smells and sounds of the 2001 ASUO Fall Street Faire will come alive, transforming this normally bike and pedestrian-traveled street into a cultural experience.
The fair, featuring 122 booths — some returning and some new — begins every morning at 10 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. But on Thursday, as part of the University’s 125th Anniversary celebration, many of the vendors will stay open until 10 p.m.
Tambi Boyle, a junior math major and the ASUO co-marketing director, said the wide variety of vendors, especially the new ones, will help to rejuvenate the fair and “bring more business.” Boyle said the fair is aimed at students, faculty and the general community.
“They are caught,” Boyle said. “We have trapped them, and they’ll want to come back every day.”
From the local jewelry artists to the imported and handcrafted gifts, wall hangings, clothing, African baskets, Thai and Mediterranean cuisine and popular hanging house plants, there is something for everyone at the fair, even those worried about cleanliness.
“The excellent personal hygiene used by people preparing my food is definitely one of my favorite parts of the street faire,” said ASUO Senate President Peter Watts. The Starseeds booth will personalize food by engraving customers’ names on rice. Nina’s Creations will be selling beaded necklaces, and Rejuvenation Mind and Spa is one place to stop for a massage along the way.

St. Vincent de Paul will be selling sun-catchers made out of recycled glass that bear the “UO” logo. The sun-catcher ornaments, made of Aurora glass, come in various designs, and the proceeds from all the merchandise at the booth will go back to the community, said St. Vincent de Paul Manager Esther Wells.
But for those working to make sure the event runs smoothly, such as ThuVan Hoang and Boyle, the ASUO co-marketing directors, their days will begin hours before the crowds hit the street.
“It’s your life,” Boyle said. “You live, breathe and eat street fair.”
Tom Hicks, the associate director of the Department of Public Safety, said ASUO volunteers will have hand-held radios to communicate with dispatch.
“We will have more uniform patrol in the area,” he said, referring to the fact that DPS is increasing the number of officers on duty to ensure that activity later in the evening stays under control.
Hicks said officers will also be reminding participants at the fair not to keep their cars parked in certain areas for excessive lengths of time.
The two ASUO coordinators are also working to bring a broad line-up of musical groups to the EMU Amphitheater every day, as well as vendors from the Portland and Eugene Saturday markets. Hoang said the performers are volunteers, and they will entertain free of charge.
Hoang also said fair-goers should check out a performance by The Lounge Derbies, a Japanese band known for its upbeat pop and “funky punky” music. The Lounge Derbies are scheduled to perform today from 3:45 to 5 p.m. in the EMU Amphitheater. Volunteers interested in helping at the fair and monitoring the street can call 346-0622 for more information.