The cooler Fall weather wasted no time arriving in the Willamette Valley. A little online search…read moreand I discovered what my weekend had in store for me. I love Corvallis, as it feels much like the College neighborhood I moved from in Indianapolis, and it feels much more progressive than its surrounding areas. My mini & I made the trip from Salem and found side street parking a few blocks from the free event. It was overcast with drizzle in the forecast but that didn't deter us. Having arrived around lunch time, we decided to do a quick loop and hit the food trucks. There were several nice options to choose from benefitting the community. We landed on splitting a chicken quesadilla and a cheesesteak and both got flavored lemonades care of Benton County Democrats for Constitutions in High Schools. The area was set up with a hand washing station and plenty of picnic tables and trash cans. Afterwards we hit the many rows of vendors and were blown away by the diversity of quality art and hand made jewelry, crafts and foods. We especially enjoyed the 6 pack of variety baklava from Damascus treats and must've sampled 50 flavored balsamic vinegars and dipping oils from Mama Celia's Gourmet Foods before narrowing down our selection and taking home five. I have very little wall space left in my home, so I gravitated to the artist greeting cards and ended up with quite the collection. The snarky magnets from Tongue and Beak has us crying and will make nice gifts. We were unable to see everything in one day, but its was nice to know its a two day festival. I'll definitely plan to make this an annual event and allow myself more time next year!

Amazing atmosphere! And it's free?!? What a great event to have in Corvallis. Artists from all over…read morethe Pacific Northwest are featured. There are food trucks, life music, and plenty to see and do.

Super fun! Loved browsing through all the food options and flea market stuff. The shows they had…read morewere super fun too

Time for another annual trip to the Junction City Scandinavian Festival! This year the crowds of…read morevisitors all seem in good spirits. Many people wearing various styles of lederhosen, others dressed as vikings, Oompa music fills the air along with the cooking aromas from Elephant Ears, Meat Pies, aebleskivers and brats! Ice cream and various cold drinks are also available. There are the usual array of vendors selling t-shirts, jewelry, handmade crafts, and the food! There is also plenty of entertainment to be had. There is an area for performing dancers doing traditional folk song and dance as well as a Maypole waiting to be decorated. I found a vendor for a company called 'Just Rum' who had a unique and very old recipe for the manufacture of rum. Utilizing these old recipes this company based in Sandy Oregon had come up with several award winning rums with varying alcohol levels. After a very entertaining and informative tasting session, I just had to purchase a bottle of Blackberry Rum! This is some potent stuff and seems to work best as a mixer, although there is one with a very high alcohol content made for sipping. Moving along to the Viking Village section I came across a vendor I had met last year. A leather belt maker. He does the whole process starting with a hide. Tanning the leather, cutting and tooling the designs, staining and preserving, it's just good quality craftsmanship. I purchased a belt from him and it's still in such good shape that I decided the cost was worth it to pick another style from him. He will also be at the Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel. Having secured my purchase of another belt, we escaped the heat for a bit by going into the crafts building where some of the more delicate items are on display. One of the real eye catching items is lampshades made out of wood! These shades are carved so thinly that light actually penetrates the wood casting a fantastic incandescent sepia tone of light. Time for some eats now, so we moved along and found an assortment or caramel apples with nuts, chocolate, M&Ms... you name it. We were also very happy to find some outstanding corn on the cob and some Danish Sausage Dogs with a very authentic European style casing that actually gave a crisp snap as you bite into the sausage. Thank You Junction City for another successful Scandinavian Festival. I just might come back before this four day event ends!

Greetings Fairgoers! StevO reporting for KWTF Traffic in the…read moreGreater OCF area Porta potties have been making their debut in the neighborhood with many thanks from the local Great Unwashed. The arrival of 45,000 visitors has created huge lakes of vehicles in private fields and overwhelmed our local cell tower for our population of 5,000. Signal can be quite sketchy at times. Some travelers have been spotted in the local hardware store looking for bug spray. Some shopkeepers are leaving the shelves of deodorant, soap and mouthwash unlocked in hopes of petty theft. The early morning hours brought us a traffic jam on Hwy 126. Traffic was stalled from the gates of the fair all the way to Fern Ridge Reservoir. Even THIS exceptional reporter had to lay on the horn to prevent someone trying to pass me on the sidewalk in the only intersection in town. The lights became meaningless as vehicles were stopped in the middle of the intersection during light changes. Suttle Rd traffic has slowed significantly but is still manageable. New to the 'Fair Outside the Fair' this year are 25mph radar speed signs hanging over the standard 45mph placards on both Suttle and Territorial. This makes for a nice diversion and a good opportunity to calibrate your speedometer at 55mph, one can't be too sure.. On the lighter side.... This afternoon gave us a highly decorated madman with water pistols jumping out in the road and squirting cars, let's just hope it was water and that he can dodge in case a local shoots back. On Eastbound 126 there was a 3 wheel scooter speeding down the bicycle lane. Lucky for them there was one of Veneta's finest on that side of the road only too happy to celebrate this event with flashy lights! The intersection at Suttle and Territorial is once again turning into a game of Vehicle Mosh Pit as you see many sticker laden vehicles that are obviously low on blinker fluid. StevO signing off for KWTF Traffic, reminding everyone to stay cool and use sunscreen.

My 1st fair was 7 years ago. Within 10 minutes of being inside, a woman came up to me and said…read more"welcome home". If you understand what that means....leave the world behind a day and visit the fair.

My quest is complete with a visit to the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire, the third and final location…read morein the Oregon renaissance faire trifecta. By rights, it should have been my first stop. Shrewsbury is the oldest renaissance faire in Oregon (this was the 19th year) and it was the largest. Other things in its favor: ** It had the most vendors with the best merchandise. Although there is no cell/wifi service in the area so be prepared to pay in cash or leave your credit card info. with the vendor. ** Good joust show, held twice a day, that is a mix of skills on horseback, jousting and hand-to-hand combat. ** The best visitors and participants. Meaning that the majority of folks were in costume, especially the vendors, and it had a good educational component. The faire that I enjoy the most is still the Canterbury Faire in Silverton, held two weekends in July. It is due to a combination of factors, including the mostly shady location, my favorite joust (just the right amount of ridiculousness) and some of the entertainment. This is a close second. Bringing up the rear is the Oregon Renaissance Faire in Hillsboro. Each experience has its high and low points. The Shrewsbury and Canterbury Faires have the most crossover and definitely have their hearts in the right place. But props to Oregon Renaissance Faire for having some of the best stage shows. It just feels more like a state fair, than a renaissance experience. Today we witnessed a wedding where the officiant binds the hands of the bridge and groom (tying the knot) and watched a great joust show where the female riders bested their male counterparts in the games of skill. A few new twists including a competition to see which rider could carry a mug of 'ale' the length of the ring with the least amount of liquid spilled. The food vendors were plentiful, diverse and there were a few shady areas set up for dining. We almost missed an entire section of the faire that is relatively new. It was in a shady grove, whereas most of the faire is in the middle of a field in direct sun, so make sure you explore the entire area since this section was not well marked. Such a fun day and great people from all over the region who enjoy traveling back in time 500 years or so. Huzzah! ------------- 2014 dates - September 12 - 13th in Kings Valley, OR. Quite a drive, but a pretty one, from the Portland Metro area. A few other considerations - coupons for $1 off admission are on the website and you can pay with a credit card. No fee for parking. Festival food and drink was reasonably priced for this type of event. No pets allowed.

I love this fair and never miss it. Albany is so lucky to have such amazing event twice a year…read morethat I come from out of state to attend like so many others. This fair has so many talented people whom openly share their gifts with the local community. Not only does it have almost 100 Venders with its exclusive one of a kind offerings. But the RaSani Fair also has speakers with 3 stages changing every hour. I really enjoyed the special star guest Sarah Lemons known from her show on the travel channel. I always find the best gifts for myself and others at this fair while also learning about healing , growing, and being part of a heart centered community.

When it comes to the unknown, sometimes I can be a little skeptical. Psychics, mediums, and tarot…read morecards fall into that category. But on the spur of the moment, I decided to check out this festival, held in October at the Linn County Expo Center. It is a 'Body Mind Spirit Holistic Fair' and has a little something for everyone interested in matters of the mind and heart. In addition to those listed above, there were also masseuses, clairvoyants, artists, iridologists, and even crystals and tie-died clothing. Of the 3 people I consulted with, all 3 had spot-on feedback for me. It was almost scary. I didn't volunteer anything. Yet these insightful women were able to tell me things about myself that I rarely tell anyone. I was quite impressed. And a little overwhelmed, I must confess. Sandi Buchanan (Radiant Journeys). She is a medium I went to see in one of the special classes offered during the event. Enlightening. Shay Garrison. She does 'Aura Readings', where she takes your picture with a special camera that shows your aura and explains what it means. Very cool. Cheri Pang-Burghardt. Another medium who really impressed me. And an extremely sweet and sensitive person. And I opted for a massage, too. Why not! Andrea McCullough of Sacred Tempos has magic hands. This was just the kind of event I needed and I'm so happy I attended that day. It really was an eye-opener for me.

June 22-23 2013 at the D-River Wayside beach in the center of Lincoln City…read more The town started filling up with kite fliers on Thursday evening, and by noon on Friday, Highway 101 is full of people out to see the kites that are already in the air -- From our perch up Fleet Street -- it's colorful and the blue sky is clear and the cool breeze is great! This year's theme is WHALES, and the huge whale kites are very impressive -- but down at beach level, there are kites of all shapes, colors and sizes being flown by families, kids, old guys in straw hats, and kite-flying pros doing all kinds of flips and turns with their fancy kite-strings and whale-tails! Husband took his little tiger kite down and we cheered him on from the cheap seats -- the little white dog was thrilled to meet and greet every dog on the beach.... This is a much bigger deal here than I was expecting -- and a great sunny, breezy day to enjoy the color! (I should have known this was a big deal when we moved here and there are more kite stores than automotive supply stores in town....) The bookend event to this festival is in September -- the Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival....

This festival brings thousands of people together with one thing in mind.... kite flying. There are…read moredemonstrations with very large, beautiful kites, kids activities, and many opportunities just to fly your own kite. This festival is a great way to view some very beautiful, spectacular kites, and learn some very interesting kiting skills!

I grew up in Eugene, but never went to the OCF until a decade or so after I moved away. It's been…read morearound since the 60s or something (long before I was born), but when I was younger I think it was held in a different location before it moved out to its current location in Veneta. It started as a fundraiser for an alternative school but it's now a 503(c). It's always held the first full weekend in July. Once upon a time, it was a drug filled revelry from what I understand, but they've made it significantly more family friendly over the years. Don't get me wrong--you'll still come across a topless woman or walk through a cloud of pot smoke--but it's not as bad as it once was. And as far as unique experiences go, you'd be hard pressed to find another much like this. It was fun but getting a ticket is a little annoying. You can't purchase tickets there; they must be purchased off-site in advance. I guess it's probably great for crowd control or something--though I don't know that they actually limit the number of tickets--but I don't always remember to plan ahead. Oh well, I guess I'd rather they manage the crowd if that's what it's for. Head over to the parking lot of VRC to pick up your ticket and you can also catch the shuttle there too when the fair rolls around. It's great that they have a shuttle since parking around the place is honestly impossible I think. Unless you're camping, perhaps. There's a lot happening at the Fair, so for those who are quickly overstimulated you should be aware. You'll see stilt walkers wandering around. There's planned and/or impromptu parades that weave through the place. There are troubadours and small ensembles that may pop up, or individuals with a band on their back! You may find a juggler or a few wandering. There's activities for children, like puppet shows or face painting. Alcohol is not allowed on the premises, although there are areas where folks can smoke. There are tons of vendors. It's like the Saturday Market on steroids. There was a booth selling the most beautiful masks; capes and wings; art of various mediums... lots of treasures. There are also a nice variety of food vendors. When I went there was a booth that had beignets and they tasted like they came from New Orleans. There was music of various genres; activities both spontaneous and planned. A booth where you could create your own affirmation. The Oregon Country Fair is truly unlike any sort of fair or festival I've ever been to. I was mad at myself for not having visited sometime when I was growing up and living there permanently instead of waiting until 10 years after I'd moved out of state. But I will return with my little one in tow to enjoy this wacky experience all over again.

it's amazing! I went to OCF in 2019 and it truly blew my mind. I loved it. the food was great,…read moreespecially off the waffle. everything was lovely and I cant wait to go back.

From the website: "Wulapalooza is an annual urban earth, art and music festival that takes place on…read morethe campus of Willamette University. Local schools, performance groups, and professional bands perform for over a thousand students and community members annually with local businesses and student groups fundraising for various charitable organizations. We are an Earth Day and community festival that yearly brings in thousands of community members and students." Thee Emergency is one of my favorite bands, but since they usually stick around Seattle, I knew I had to make the trek to Wulapalooza to see them play. I did miss the entire first part of the festival with the student and community booths and whatnot, so my commentary pertains solely to the evening program. However, Wulapalooza remains one of the strangest events I have ever been to, and it's not just because of the name. We arrived when the band was setting up to a crowd of a hundred or so students milling around a field. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a community festival, because it always seemed like we were the only non-students there. So Thee Emergency came out and rocked hard, as they are wont to do, but Willamette U. students must not be the rocking-est, because they were dancing around as if it were some hippie drum circle or something. Now, I love me some hippie drum circles, but there is a time and a place, and it's not when this bluesy, punk-y, soulful throwback to 70's-style rock 'n' roll is playing out live ten feet away, the guitar player throwing out sweet licks from behind his head and everything. Maybe it was the dearth of shoes. Maybe a body requires footwear to rock out. Anyway, we couldn't take any more of that for a while, so we went to get some dinner before Mirah was set to take stage. When we got back, the beer garden seemed irresistible, but we saw the door person checking off names. Now, I went to a huge state school, and it seemed entirely impossible that a university could have a full list of its 21-and-over students contained entirely on printed pages in a small-ish binder. How quaint. The beer garden really was only for students, but we were somehow convincing as alums. Beer was 3 for $10, which mathematically doesn't make sense and is also silly for two people to split, but whatever. Also, they had all kinds of free food up there that we abstained from due to the fact that we weren't really meant to eat it. The fact that the school was providing an entire free party for its students was starting to set in, holy crap. Next was Mirah, who was unfortunately playing in a gymnasium due to some noise ordinance shenanigans. When a very serene sort of performer like Mirah is playing, you have to really pay attention, especially when she is playing in the middle of a gymnasium and you are sitting cross-legged in front of her. However, dozens of side conversations almost drowned out the music, and then some students decided to get as close as possible to the bassist in order to flick their Bics, and someone's kids were allowed to walk all over near the performers and grab their hand percussion instruments, and the people dancing majestically still couldn't get the beat right. We stayed as long as we could bear, but the magic was gone. On the way out, a big truck was backing up to the stage, shining its lights on some students on the field wrapped up in the provided blankets. Moral: private school is strange.

Wulapalooza is the day I look forward to the most all year. Wula brings Willamette students, Salem…read moreinhabitants, and music/art/earth/fun enthusiasts from surrounding areas together under the glorious umbrella of everybody having a damn good time for free. You'd be a fool to miss it.