With the 57th Annual Oregon Country Fair opening just days away, volunteer crews this week were pounding in nails and heaving up beams, putting the finishing touches on stages and booths along 18 miles of forested paths.
“We’ll have 17 stages and feature every single piece of entertainment you could possibly want: from vaudeville to spoken word to music of all the genres,” said OCF Marketing Manager Vanessa Roy.
There are plenty of things both old and new to enjoy at this year’s fair, Roy said.
"But no matter what, we try to bring whimsy and wonder and a little bit of magic to your day at Fair," she said.
A few new food booths have been added to the 85 culinary options for visitors as well as lots of new stage acts—including stand-up comedy and drag performances such as Courtney Act, a popular Australian drag queen and finalist on RuPaul's Drag Race.
Sunday’s Main Stage will feature the Bob Weir All-Stars Celebration--paying tribute to the late musician.
“Bob Weir’s friends will come together to play in his honor this Sunday,” Roy said. “As we all know, the Oregon Country Fair would not have its start without the contribution of the Grateful Dead. So, this is a super huge moment for us, and we really are excited.”
KLCC has a two-story booth at Main stage meadow and has been broadcasting live from the Oregon Country Fair since 1990. KLCC is keeping up the tradition with live broadcasts airing 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A new addition this year will be several live, mini “KLCC Presents” concerts performed at the booth between Main Stage acts throughout the weekend.
Past years have been real scorchers, so something else new for fairgoers this weekend will be the weather—forecasted to be in the low 80s. And, Roy said, they’ve brought more shade than ever to the fair.
“It's an ongoing project that we have, to provide more comfort from the sun while you're actually out here,” she said. “We have lots of shade structures going up at Main Stage and Horse Chorale and Blue Moon stages.”
As usual, it’s encouraged to bring a non-glass water bottle as there are plentiful hydration stations along the paths.
One new aspect of the Oregon County Fair is the price of a ticket. It has gone up in recent years. An adult day pass is currently $60. Discounts are available for veterans, alter-abled individuals and seniors. Kids 12 and under are still free. A three-day adult pass costs $150.
All tickets must be purchased in advance, as the fair does not sell tickets at the gate.
Roy said the current pass prices are a reflection of the way this region has struggled to come back from the pandemic.
“What that means is that a lot of providers, such as our sanitary services, were either not in business anymore or they had to greatly restructure,” she said. “So, their prices were huge coming out of the pandemic. Every expense has risen and those expenses had to be absorbed.”
Roy said while the ticket costs have increased, so has OCF’s philanthropic giving practice.
“To this day, from our ticket sales, we have provided more than $1.5 million of philanthropic giving,” she said. “We're focused on basic needs during these economic hard times, which means that we're feeding people, we're housing people, we're doing such good in the local community and every single person that buys a ticket does that good with us.”
Roy reminded that a day pass to Oregon Country Fair includes a free Lane Transit District shuttle bus ride, to and from the event site.
“They leave from the downtown Eugene station and from Valley River Center, every 15 to 20 minutes starting at 10:00 a.m. all the way until the end of fair,” Roy said. “They drop you off right at the front.”
With gas prices in the Willamette Valley averaging $4.40 per gallon, Roy said the “ride included” part of an OCF ticket is a savings.
“And, it's really fun to ride the bus out with other fairgoers all decked out in their glittery splendor,” Roy laughed.
The Oregon Country Fair opens at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 10 and runs through 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.
