If there is one thing a University student can count on when spending a summer in Oregon, it’s an abundance of festivals and celebrations.
Whether staying in Eugene or venturing to other parts of the state, students can find culture and entertainment in Oregon cities throughout the summer months.
The University already has an estimated 5,134 students registered for summer term. For these students and those who will be living in Eugene over the summer, the city offers the Oregon Country Fair and the Eugene Celebration.
This year the country fair will be held July 13-15 and will feature 12 stages of entertainment, 250 booths selling handmade crafts and about 50 food booths. Entertainment will range from big band music to jugglers.
“The country fair is like the Saturday Market magnetized 10 times,” said Norma Sax, country fair administrative assistant. “It’s a magical and unique experience.”
Sax said she expects 450,000 people to attend the three day event.
The Eugene Celebration will take over downtown Eugene Sept. 14-16. Charlie Johnson, the celebration’s production director, said the event is a time to see Eugene at its “wackiest.”
“The celebration is a typical Eugene block party,” he said. “It’s genuinely unique.”
The celebration, which is expected to draw 80,000 people again this year, will host a parade and 80 entertainment acts over the three day event. These include more than 24 food booths, a kid’s zone, youth performances at the Hult Center and various art displays.
For students who want to venture outside of Eugene, Portland is already celebrating the Portland Rose Festival, an event that combines parades, entertainment and competitions.
Sponsored by Southwest Airlines, the Grand Floral Parade begins Saturday at 10 a.m. and travels from the Memorial Coliseum to downtown Portland. Dragon Boats will race in the Willamette River on Saturday and Sunday. The Willamette River will also be filled with Navy ships as part of the Rose Festival fleet week.
Other events include the Easter Seals Chip to the Barge hole-in-one competition, the Portland Arts Festival, the Auto races and the Rose Festival Air Show.
The Pepsi Waterfront Village, currently taking up 16 city blocks, will end Sunday.
“This year the village features a thrill zone,” festival spokeswoman Lyndee Cox said. “There will be everything from paintball and rock climbing to extreme rides.”
In August, Portland will also host the Bite of Portland, a Special Olympics fundraiser featuring 80 bands on seven stages, 20 restaurants and 25 Oregon wineries.

“The event is free and there is a lot of great food tasting to look forward to,” Festival Coordinator Clay Fuller said.
A little closer to Eugene, Salem will offer the Bite of Salem during the last weekend in July and the Oregon State Fair at the end of August.
The Bite of Salem will host 15 restaurants, live entertainment, more than 25 carnival rides and a beer garden.
“All the proceeds from the Bite will benefit kids organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club,” said Con Lynch, chairman and event coordinator.
A larger event, the Oregon State Fair will celebrate its 136th year in Salem. The fair features carnival rides, exhibits, competitions and livestock.
This year’s theme, “Ain’t no place I’d rather be,” will be the focus of the 12 day event that starts Aug. 23 and ends Sept. 3.
“There are multiple generations exhibiting things at the fair,” said Diane Childs, the marketing coordinator for the fair. “Some of the exhibitors are the great grandchildren of exhibitors from years past.”
Just east of Salem, Silverton will continue its tradition of hosting Homer Davenport Days, a celebration named after Silverton’s favorite son, Homer Davenport, said Davenport days President Ed Dixon.
Besides offering live entertainment, street dancing, art booths and food booths, Davenport Days offers the Davenport races. In a challenge of business v. business, neighbor v. neighbor, people race down main street pushing homemade couches on wheels.
If traveling east, Bend offers the Cascade Festival of Music from Aug. 25 to Sept. 1. The festival’s Managing Director Mary Arnstad said the festival will “open with Beethoven, close with Bach and feature everything in-between.”
Located in Drake Park on the Deschutes River, the festival will include classical, Celtic, blues and jazz music.
“It’s a casual, informal setting where people can picnic,” Arnstad said. “The location is just beautiful.”