Oregon State Fair

I think that one of the staple of the United States is the State Fair.  Today, I took some time to attend the Oregon State Fair.  The only other State Fair I’ve attended was the New Mexico State Fair.  I would assume that there are staples at each State Fair, and, while I missed some from New Mexico (for example, Navajo tacos and Kachinas), I found new ones in Oregon (for example, fish and chips and tie-dye).

The first part of the trip to the fair is our “base” location:  Phoenix RV Park, which is just over a mile from the fairgrounds (some people said they walked there).  And, this explains why they asked us if we were Fair vendors when we made our reservations.  Since it is on the same street (Silverton), we just hopped on the local bus ($2.50 for a day pass) and they dropped us at the Fair.  The driver was extra friendly, and even showed us where to catch the bus home.

The Fair was what I expected; a lot of livestock and produce, 4H competitions (did you know they groomed the cows?), arts and crafts, cooking, the food court, shows, rides, and artisan displays (including blacksmithing, woodcarving, and even emu jerky).  There was something here for everyone, no matter the age—Days of the Dinosaur should not be missed!

Since I’ve been to Oregon, I’ve noticed the popularity of tie-dye clothing (especially in Eugene), and since I remember making tie-dye shirts as a kid and I finally found a shirt I really liked, I can dress like a local.  We enjoyed exploring all the food—they had almost anything you can imagine (from fish & chips to Carolina BBQ, and all kinds of stuff in between), and had to eat lunch there.  The grounds were fairly crowded, but not overly crowded and the people were friendly (most people are when they are having fun).

We had heard to buy our tickets in advance, to save some money, but we did not realize that meant before the Fair opened.  So, instead of buying before you get to the gate (what I thought “in advance” meant), you needed to buy the tickets early (before the first day of the Fair is what they meant by “in advance”).

I did not go see any of the headliners while I was here, so I cannot let you know how the venue was for concerts, but the list of stars was impressive (Oregon State Fair Big Shows).

We were not able to leave without a souvenir, so we adopted a little bear with a lot of personality.

If you are ever in Oregon at the end of August, beginning of September, I recommend that you take a trip to the Oregon State Fair (see the Oregon State Fair website for more information).