This weekend amid the trees and beaten dirt paths of the forest, fairies will dance. Dancing along with them may be a guy who dresses as a clown, plays a saw and sits next to the hammered dulcimer player — the former of which seems completely unaware that he’s screwing up the song of the irritated dulcimer man who is polite and bears the impromptu collaborative jam session.
To that, add nearly naked people, nearly naked painted people, costumed people — including a few guys who wear huge, metal-bird helmets with 2-foot beaks and walk on stilts making gobbley sounds — and you. That is, if you choose to go to the 43rd Oregon Country Fair.
On the area 13 miles west from Eugene near Veneta, the huge festival full of music, art and food converges for three days of merrymaking. Along the forested paths, you have the option of trying many kinds of delectable food that local vendors prepare or taking in a performance at one of the 18 stages scattered throughout the area.
At the Spirit Tower stage during the festival, one of the performances will be called “Songs of the Naked Soul,” in which several singer/songwriters will get up and ply their trade. Among those will be Lindsey Pavao,@@http://popcrush.com/lindsay-pavao-say-aah-the-voice/@@ who was one of the semifinalist contestants on NBC’s “The Voice.”
“We have all different kinds of music,” said Saphir Lewis, who is Oregon Country Fair’s media coordinator.@@http://www.robertdespain.com/node/334@@ “We have vaudeville acts, circus acts … and about 50 percent of people are in costume. There are around 1,000 booths of handmade, bohemian crafts.”
The original tagline for the Oregon Country Fair was “Come in costume,” and that sentiment remains today. At any time, you could see goat-legged fauns pass by you, or traipsing pieces of living art keeping step.
At odd hours, there will be a random parade through the middle the path, usually with some sort of theme and always lively.

The Oregon Country Fair is one of the only attractions in the U.S. that owns its own land. Bought in the 1980s, the fair takes place on many acres of Willamette Valley land. An event like this takes a lot of planning — an entire year in the making — and takes 64 separate crews of volunteers, numbering in the thousands.
The origins of the fair go back to 1969, when it was a neighborhood fundraising event put on by the Children’s Community School, an alternative school. The philanthropic roots of the fair remain in place with three different funds set up for charity. The focus of the charity is on arts education. Some of the beneficiaries of this year include the Senior Meals Program — which gives money to 21 different senior citizen dining centers and Meals On Wheels’@@http://www.mowaa.org/@@ kitchens — and the Applegate Art Guild, which is a collaboration of 60 elementary school students.
“It’s just the best place in the world for kids,” Lewis said. “We have a daycare center for the children, and a kids’ activities loop for the parents to take their kids along.
“This year is going to be hot. Bring sunscreen, water, snacks, a hat or umbrella and the most colorful clothes in your closet.”
The busiest day of the fair is Saturday afternoon, with the paths choked with fairgoers, so some people may be more comfortable going on Friday or Sunday.
“Friday is good because you can get an early pick of all the artists’ wares,” she said. “And Sunday is good because all of the performers have worked the kinks out of their acts.”
“We’re indescribable,” said Charlie Ruff, who is director of the Oregon Country Fair. “It has to be experienced to know what it’s all about. The biggest thing about the fair is that it has grown immensely. The amount of people coming to it has just exploded. But, in terms of ethos we remain constant: Reverence for the land, reverence for each other.”