Lots of food and live music. What else could a student ask for?
Answer: Watching a U.S. Congressman scooping up slug slime.
Students will get a taste of what their quirky city is all about at the colorful 23rd annual Eugene Celebration, one of the biggest civic celebrations in the Willamette Valley.
“This is a special town. This is a special community,” said Matt Purvis, who sits on the board of directors for Downtown Events Management, Inc., the nonprofit organization that puts on the celebration. “The Eugene Celebration is a rallying point for Eugene to come together and have a blast.”
Organizers went out of their way to attract University students this year by revamping the schedule.
“U of O is a big piece of the community. We’ve made a real effort to reach out to the U of O community,” said Purvis, who has been involved with the celebration since 1991.
In the past, the event was held in early September when the school year hadn’t started yet at the University. This year, event organizers made sure the celebration took place on a weekend when the University was in session and did not interfere with any home football games.
One of the goals of the celebration is to attract the people of Eugene and the surrounding area to downtown with offerings of food, art and music. “We hope the celebration will be part of the effort that will bring people back to the center of Eugene,” Purvis said.
The festivity will offer a mixture of local music – Purvis estimates 75 percent of performers are from the Eugene area.
“For students, especially (those) new to the community, you can … see an awful lot of the best local acts in the community,” Purvis said.
He said the event would be a good resource for students who want to get familiar with the local music scene.
One of the headliners this year will be the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, a swing revival band that experienced international success with its 1998 hit “Zoot Suit Riot.” The band originated in Eugene in 1989. The Daddies will play two sets starting at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at the City Hall stage on 8th Avenue between Pearl and High streets.
The celebration will also feature local acts such as folk singer Laura Kemp at 3 p.m. on Sunday and The Rock ‘N’ Roll Soldiers at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, both at City Hall stage.
The “uniquely Eugene” parade is a must for newcomers to the event.
“The trademark event is the parade,” Purvis said.
In the spirit of having a good time, Purvis said he hopes participants create floats with a comical twist.
“We encourage people to make their point with humor,” he said.
One of the most humorous events will be the appearance of the SLUG Queen, or Society for the Legitimization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod Queen. This year’s SLUG Queen is Shandi Sinnamon, a.k.a Frank Slug-snotra.
The SLUG Queen reigns over the celebration, typically in drag or in a wacky outfit, and has been long associated with the event, but the queen has no official duties during it, according to Purvis.
The SLUG Queen is “someone with a great sense of humor. …Entertainment is probably the major requirement (of the SLUG Queen),” Purvis said.
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio will be trailing the SLUG Queen during the parade.
“He’s got a wheelbarrow and shovel and walks behind the slug, cleaning up after it. He always gets a big cheer,” Purvis said.
The parade will begin at the corner of Pearl Street and 11th Avenue and end on 12th Avenue between Oak and Pearl streets.
Attendees will get the chance to taste local foods. Not only will the event showcase downtown restaurants, but vendors will be on hand with all types of food.
Saturday Market will be open at its normal location at 8th Avenue and Oak Street, opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
The celebration will run from 11:30 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Adults can purchase a three-day pass for $10 or a one-day pass for $6.
For more information, those interested can visit www.eugenecelebration.com.
“Bring a spirit of fun, an open mind and have a great time,” Purvis said.

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