The Oregon Country Fair has a reputation for uniqueness, and fair organizers expect this year’s event to uphold that tradition.
By tomorrow, the ordinarily sleepy Veneta countryside will be transformed into another world where mimes, jugglers and acrobats abound, where the food is all-natural and clothing is optional.
Friday kicks off the 32nd annual Oregon Country Fair, which will run through Sunday. Held in the woods of Veneta several miles west of Eugene, the event is a local tradition with a reputation for being an event unlike any other.
Fair organizers say this year is shaping up to be no different. There will be 12 stages, with entertainers scheduled to appear every day of the fair from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Entertainment acts scheduled include juggling and vaudeville acts as well as musical performances featuring a wide range of styles such as gospel, reggae, swing, Latin funk and “psychedelic rock.”
All food sold at the fair — from 50 vendors — will be made on the site, spokesman Robert DeSpain said. In addition, there will be 700 artisans in 250 booths selling various hand-crafted jewelry, art and other items.
The theme of this year’s fair is “2001: A Spaced Odyssey.” Fair organizers chose the theme as a parody of the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and as a nod to the stereotype of the “spaced hippie,” DeSpain said.
Last year, attendance at the fair totaled 41,000, said Lisa Lawton, a spokeswoman for the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County. She expects attendance levels to be similar this year.
Eugene resident Sandra Koelle said she decided to attend the fair for the first time this year after hearing about it from others.
“It has a reputation of being an experience not to be missed,” she said.
While the fair is known for fun and entertainment, organizers also concentrate on raising social awareness. This year, in response to recent energy shortages across the nation, the fair will feature several educational booths in a section known as “Energy Park.” Interactive displays at these booths will focus on solar energy use, recycling methods and ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Cloth diapers will even be available for daily rental in the Energy Park.
And as part of the fair’s “Alter-Abled Access Advocacy” program, many performances will be translated by sign language interpreters.
Though it lasts only a few days each year, the Oregon Country Fair is a “365-day community,” said Norma Sax, an administrative assistant for the event.
Throughout the year, she said, the not-for-profit corporation remains active in the local community through various philanthropic activities, such as supporting arts programs in schools and other social assistance programs.
The 32nd annual Oregon Country Fair: Advance tickets are available at all FASTIXX outlets and most Safeway stores. Prices are $10 for Friday and Sunday, $15 on Saturday.
Day-of-event tickets will be sold at the Lane County Transit District Downtown Station and at the customer service kiosk in Valley River Center. Prices are $12 for Friday and Sunday, $17 on Saturday.
LTD will also offer free shuttle service to the fair with a ticket. Tickets to most campgrounds in the area can be purchased at the University Ticket Office. To order tickets, call FASTIXX at 1-800-992-8499. For more information call the Oregon Country Fair at 343-4298 or visit the Oregon Country Fair Web site at oregoncountryfair.org.