Fairing Well

Fifty years ago, Sesame Street debuted its first episode and the original Star Trek aired its last. Fifty years ago Woodstock happened and the first person walked on the moon.

And if you live in Lane County, then you need to know that for the past 50 years there’s been a party out near Veneta that defeats any stereotype you’ve even heard about hippies not having their act together.

The Oregon Country Fair is one together act.

Once you wander through the often-dusty gates of the Fair, you’ll encounter more than 300 artisans selling their crafts and at least 80 food booths. You’ll see security, childcare and medical care. There will be hula hoopers and Native dancers and giant puppets.

And maybe you’ll see some more or less naked people, definitely some people covered in body paint and glitter, people on stilts and plenty of just ordinary people.

Quirky, weird, fun or funny, it’s at the Fair.

For some, it’s the best weekend all year and full of late-night craziness, while for others it’s a patchouli traffic jam and probably, for the vast majority of us, it’s a cool thing we can check out from time to time.

Love it or be mad you don’t have a camping pass, but you have to respect the enthusiasm that has sustained half a century of whatever the heck the Oregon Country Fair is.

In this issue:

Not Slowing Down for 50 OCF’s 50th anniversary music lineup brings it on

Rocking Medicine White Bird raises money while saving the day

More Coverage of the OCF’s 50th:

Country Fair Gold Eugene Weekly’s special section on the Fair turning 50.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!