Food, Wine, Music and Maude

Fourth of July weekend isn’t just about fireworks, baseball and beer. On July 4-6, check out the 36th-annual Art and the Vineyard Festival at Eugene’s Alton Baker Park.

The fundraiser supports Maude Kerns Art Center and its yearlong exhibits and education programs.

The decades-old tradition in Eugene offers a few new features this year. Check out the four interactive sculptures and installations inside the festival, as well as a non-competitive Plein-Air Paint-Out celebrating the artistic community beginning at 11 am Saturday, July 6.

The festival will feature more than 90 artists from seven states in its Artists Marketplace. At Art For Your Garden you can see outdoor artwork by 20 artists.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, treat yourself to a visit to the Wine Court and International Food Court.

And then there’s the entertainment.

Headliners are the High Street Band, which bills itself as the ultimate party band, on Thursday, July 4; Red Bird, a Portland band that brings a mix of blues, jazz, soul and Americana, on Friday, July 5; and a Eugene favorite, The Sugar Beets, on Saturday, July 6.

The more classically minded can check out the Oregon Bach Festival’s Stangeland Family Youth Choral Academy when they sing at 7:15 pm Thursday, July 4. At dusk on the Fourth, enjoy the Freedom Festival Fireworks in the skies over Alton Baker Park.

Hours are 11 am through the fireworks on Thursday, July 4, and 11 am to 9:30 pm on Friday and Saturday, July 5-6. One-day general admission (15 years and up) is $7; for youth (ages 6 – 14) admission is $3. Art and the Vineyard is free for children 5 and under. A three-day pass is $15. See more at artandthevineyard.org.

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!