Members of the University community seeking street food and local products won’t have to leave campus to get them for the rest of the week because the ASUO’s biannual Street Faire is coming back Wednesday and staying a day longer than usual.
The Street Faire’s tents, carts and booths will be on East 13th Avenue from Wednesday until Saturday, rather than, as they usually are, until Friday, in an attempt to coordinate the faire with the Willamette Valley Musicfest, which happens on campus Saturday.
ASUO Events Coordinator and president-elect Amelie Rousseau, whose current job is organizing the event, said the decision to add the fourth day came after discussions with the Cultural Forum, which is organizing the music festival.
“It’s a mutual benefit to both vendors and making the community feel connected,” Rousseau said.
About 70 vendors will be present for the first three days of the Street Faire.
“Some of them come from as far California and Texas,” Rousseau said.
Between 20 and 30 are expected to stick around for the fourth day, when the ASUO does not require vendors to stay.
The ASUO organizes the biannual event, upon which it relies to generate money. It used to be the sole source of money for the ASUO’s executive branch, aside from student fees. Although the ASUO has since created several new sources of revenue, the Street Faire event still plays a central role in allowing the executive branch to organize events and hold retreats.
The fall Street Faire generated $11,000 for student government, an increase from past years because the ASUO now charges vendors for parking. That number exceeded the objectives the student government set out at the beginning of the year.
Rousseau said this one will generate even more money because of the addition of a fourth day. She said she expects the ASUO to make about $15,000 from the spring Street Faire.
Part of that money will also come from offering businesses the opportunity to sponsor the event. Rousseau said the UO Duck Store will co-sponsor the Street Faire this spring.
Weather for the outdoor event will be partly cloudy on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the National Weather Service predicted. Thursday, according to NWS projections, will be partly sunny.
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