The beat of the native drum circle and jingle dresses felt like home as we entered the event…read more Helpful volunteers were identified by the T-shirt they wore bearing by brother's design. In exchange for his work, we were provided 'VIP' access that included a tent with a prime view of the main stage and refreshments to cool down in between our rounds (shout out to the friendly and attentive VIP tent volunteers). Positive energy and pride exuded throughout Riverfront park during this long standing cultural festival as groups were decked out in regalia and traditional dress in preparation for a performance. The diversity and representation witnessed as I made my way through made my heart burst with joy. Making a choice on what to eat was tough, as there were more food trucks and options than I had seen before. ChoicesI went with Flourish Spices & African Food's 'Little bit of everything' plate and added a puff puff. It included black eyed peas, plantains, chicken and fish (they were very popular and had run out of rice that was normally included). My tastebuds agreed with my selection and savored every bite of food that perfectly complemented the other. The fish was well cooked and seasoned, very easy to separate from the bones. The puff puff was a fried dough, like a cross between a beignet and a hush puppy, but savory, and was a nice addition to my meal. I only wish I would've added vegetables, but had plenty to satisfy my appetite. There were also a lot of beverage options including specialty coffees, Aqua frescas, Hawaiian ice, flavored lemonades, and a beer garden with wine, cider, and brews. Vendor booths offered everything from turban wraps, native beaded earrings, and felted hats to African braiding, henna tattoos and cultural wares. A dedicated children's area had activities to keep the littles entertained while learning. Story tellers from across the globe shared folk tales and exposed guests of all ages to other cultures. I enjoyed watching traditional dancing and performances on multiple stages throughout the venue. Dragon boat races brought a thrill from the waterway below. Acosia Red Elk, an international award winning jingle dancer and enrolled member Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, took the stage explaining the origin of her regalia and shared an inspirational message with the crowd about intentions and connection. Supaman, a Native American dancer, hip hop artist, inspirational speaker and member of the Apsáalooke Nation on the Crow Reservation, leveled up; bringing energy to the outdoor amphitheater by inviting guests up to the stage to contribute to a beat box compilation with DJ Element, throwing out CDs for crowd participation, and ending with fan favorites. The Parade of Lights awed the audience with their flaming headpieces, wings, and torches as they made their grand entry around and up to the stage while members blew conch shells. This stunning and well thought out event drew interest across Salem, selling out tickets on Saturday. Many people I spoke to had been attending, volunteering, or participating for up to 15 years. Bravo and congratulations on a truly spectacular weekend!

Solid 4 star experience. 2015 fest review…read more Located on salem waterfront admission was $5 a person $15 for entire families. It was a fun time. It was not the best world music festival I had ever been to but it was nice. 3-4 stages of performers with folk dancing performances on the grass. Lots of ethnic food options, but they need more variety as far as countries represented. We had cuisine from the Greek and the Ethiopian food stalls. Both were flavorful and we would get them again. The young lady running the Ethiopian stall must have been having a bad day because she vibrated that feeling to her customers and was very unfriendly. We enjoyed the performances. The Iraqi music Ronny and Sherzad on guitar and keyboard was our favorite. Iraqi fusion music with latin and other cultural influences. We also enjoyed the Gamelan group. If I was the planner of this fest I would put the Gamelan Group farther away from the other performances. Gamelan is quiet and they were drowned out by the taiko drumming taking place at the next stage over. My Mr. said he would have liked if all the stages were spread out a little farther as to not drown out the other performances. The people running the salem drum circle group were very friendly and we jumped right in and jammed with them. They invited me back to perform with them on stage later that day, but we had limited time so we could not take part. There were a few vendors selling their wares. Much of it was the same- skirts, scarves, tapestries,boho gear,incense, etc. A few of the booths had really reasonable prices and we scored a few things. I would have liked to have seen more of a variety of clothes and wares offered up for sale. We had fun it was not that far of a drive 45-60 min from Portland ..we will return to this festival again. Plenty of on street parking. Sunday was not crowded with just the right amount of people in attendance.

Great venue for a comedy show, dueling pianos, maybe a small play. But I don't recommend this for…read morecultural events like ballet , opera, or anything that requires staging. We saw the Grand Kyiv Ballet and felt embarrassed on behalf of the dancers: -It was about 100 degrees in there. If it's uncomfortable for the audience, how does it feel for the dancers? -They blasted funk music in the auditorium before the show and at intermission. It's the BALLET, not a comedy barn. -The stage was so small that the dancers were struggling not to run into each other. (That part was fitting for comedy barn?) -The sound of popcorn and cans being opened in the second half. Again, it's the ballet. Can this venue class it up a bit? "Grand historic"? The dancers were great but we came away with a really negative impression of this venue.

I went to the comedy show last night and they were hilarious! Laughter is such good medicine. I'm…read moreglad that the Grand was able to host them. This was my first time in the grand and it was very nice. The staff were very helpful to guide people to their seats. When you're in Salem this is a must go place!

I'll start by saying it was Ifun! pretty scary for the most part, not very organized tho, the set…read moreup a little bit backwards... seemed more like a year one set up.. an event that's been going on for three years.. I would've thought by now it would've been ran a little bit smoother.. wasn't real clear where to stand in line . Like where the VIP line was& where the general admission was... and then trying to leave you're going down the same staircase, but people coming in so it's just this weird cluster of people walking over each other..also we thought it would've been cool to get more of a cell experience. like we didn't go through much of the Prison at all, didn't even get to see a cell

Yes, the lines were long... took about an hour from the start of the line to getting in... but once…read moreyou're in, you get two haunted houses back to back. The amazing location of being held in an actual old jail really added to the experience! The first one on the 3rd floor was our favorite, it was really big and had great sounds and jump scares. Not as gory as I thought but the actors really got into it and there were a lot of great scares. Definitely would recommend!

We go to lots of haunted houses each year and this one was a big let down. Very little decorations,…read morenot a lot of scarers. Those that were there did more of the yell type scaring and less of the acting scaring. Or they said, "keep moving" and no scaring. They let us in every 20 sec so we were stacked. We bought VIP tickets to jump the lines. This also lets you go back through. When we finished all the haunts we decided none of us liked it enough to go again. Parking cost $10 in addition to tickets. Not worth it at all.

I love anything Halloween, but I must admit, I have never seen an event quite like this before. If…read moreyou've ever watched a classic 1980s Halloween movie, where they have a stereotypical, but classy Halloween festival, that is exactly the same vibes that I got from this place! Good job on coming up with such a creative idea! Parking was pretty close to the entrance, but be warned that they charge $10 per car just like during the fair. After going through a metal detector and bag check, they have vendors inside a building selling various things, although some were not Halloween related, and kind of seemed out of place. They did have a cool reptile exhibit as well. Outside, the area is nicely decorated with Halloween style lights hanging overhead, and a really realistic looking cemetery. At first I thought the fairgrounds actually had a cemetery as the old, church looking building in the background and tombstones throughout made it look like its always been there. The haunted houses are located inside an older looking building. There were three of the haunted houses inside the building and a fourth outside. Each haunted house has a separate entrance, which was a little hard to figure out how to go into each one at first. The lines were pretty long when we arrived, but they seemed to move pretty fast. I don't think we waited in line more than an hour in total. They have some really well themed sets, with cool looking props. Each haunted house has a different theme, so the sets all seem to work well with each one. The distorted haunted house did not many decorations, but it felt more of a traditional haunted house with jump scares, strobe light effects, and lots of actors. The doll factory one was very well put together and had an eerie vibe to it, along with creepy music, that I can still hear playing in my head. The staff was doing a great job scaring and directing people. We kept watching group after group run out of the haunted houses holding their chest, screaming, or laughing as they exited. Overall, I am so happy that this place is in my hometown! I can see this thing becoming huge in the next few years with all the space that seems to be around the entrance and sides where they can easily grow year-after-year. I will definitely be back next year and I will bring more people with me!

Great new spot for a brew on a Saturday afternoon. Totally cool set up in a converted horse trailer…read morewith a 3 taps for draft beer. Also had a selection of wine from left coast. Plenty of tables and chairs around to relax and enjoy some LIVE MUSIC. Also it's attached to a great little craft market. Wander though and support local businesses while enjoying a beer!

Great bar tender (Jennifer), great food, clean establishment, fun place to hang out. Easy going…read moreatmosphere. I enjoy the daily drink specials. Definitely worth checking out.

The lady who was working tonight (I think Alicia) shorted me 100$ and acted like she didn't. She…read morecalled me names said I was a dumbass and to get out of her bar. She made my drink wrong (it was a sex on the beach...not hard) and refused to make it right. She should not be working behind a bar. Worst service I have ever received.

Kicking off one of Dallas's best traditions... SOUNDS OF SUMMER! Every Thursday during the summer a…read moredifferent band comes to entertain our little community! This is the most happening place to be on Thursday nights throughout the summers!!!

This is the (often literally) beating heart of Mount Angel's seasonal festivities: a massive,…read moreBavarian-style community center, within which the largest, rowdiest and most festive events can be found! With its high ceilings and spacious interior, it's a safe gathering place, even amidst the Covid crisis (although masks and social distancing are still recommended, as much as possible, especially around drunk people). Here, you frequently find live music (polka!), beers, ciders and other beverages on tap, a modest if unspectacular grill (Pro Tip #1: eat elsewhere during festive events), and actual restrooms (Pro Tip #2: forget the Honey Buckets; use these)! Oktoberfest, Volksfest, Wurstfest are all worth attending for the fun and frivolity, and I'm sure there are several other local events that make use of this colossal community space, during the "off-season". Despite the booze and brews, this venue is for all ages, up to a certain point in the night, when the parties start to become a bit...unhinged. Best to preserve your dignity and make sure the kiddos are tucked into bed before you really tie one on. Great gathering place, filled with wonderful memories and a spirit of community and brotherhood, even if most of us are drunken imports.

Great addition to the Mt. Angel venues for Oktoberfest and community use year round. It opened just…read morein time for Oktoberfest in 2011 and served as a biergarten. We visited later in the Winter for Wurstfest. This indoor community center has the benefit of modern construction and amenities with charming Bavarian scenes above the stage and throughout the building. Really nice multi-use facility for the community.