50 years of Fair
The raucous three-day arts and cultural extravaganza known today as the Oregon Country Fair began 50 years ago as a small crafts fair organized by … Continue reading
1969
Party with a Purpose
Philanthropy at the Oregon Country Fair
The Oregon Country Fair has incubated a sense of community ever since the first Fair in 1969 raised funds for a children’s school. Those early … Continue reading
Oregon Country Fair Timeline
Compiled from OCF documents, newspaper articles and years of research Nov. 1 & 2, 1969 — First Faire: Two-day Renaissance Pleasure Faire held in a … Continue reading
Future Fair
At 50, the fair is looking to grow up — but wants to do it right
Imagine the Oregon Country Fair’s 100th anniversary in 2069. Fairgoers will arrive at the grounds near Veneta by solar-powered drones that depart every 20 minutes … Continue reading
Zak Schwartz
A half century of training BUMS in security
He heard of Eugene in 1973 through the informational app of the time (person-to-person conversation) and decided on a hitchhiking adventure from Santa Cruz, California, … Continue reading
Dana and Colleen Bauman
The Fair’s first 24-hour booth
Dana’s Cheesecake debuted at the Eugene Saturday Market in December 1979, selling slices of delectable cheesecake along with cookies, cakes, and coffee. In 1982, Dana … Continue reading
Terry Baxter
Letting the Fair speak for itself
Terry Baxter was a jock when he was younger. He wasn’t interested in a hippie happening like the Oregon Country Fair. But when he got … Continue reading
Galen Carpenter
A local mayor helped OCF find camping space for hundreds
After Galen Carpenter became the first female mayor of Veneta in the 1990s, she created a campground for the Oregon Country Fair. A former full-time … Continue reading
Darcy DuRuz
Keeping women and girls up in the air
Girl Circus is a Eugene-based organization featuring professional and amateur female performers with the goal of improving gender equality in circus and theater arts. Formed … Continue reading
Paul and Judy Fuller
Finding the right balance for Fair food
Divine Balance Fruit Salad began at the 1978 Oregon Country Fair as an enterprise of Om Farm, a commune near the Fern Ridge Reservoir. Paul … Continue reading