Sense of gratitude in the air at festival.Byline: LEWIS TAYLOR The Register-Guard FROM THE FRONT seat of an all-terrain vehicle all-ter·rain vehicle n. Abbr. ATV A small, open motor vehicle having one seat and three or more wheels fitted with large tires. It is designed chiefly for recreational use over roadless, rugged terrain. powered by clean-burning biodiesel, Palmer Parker nods his silver mane toward a cats-at-play sign mounted on a tree. "We do things a little differently here," he says. Parker has probably been using this mantra since he started coming to the Oregon Country Fair The Oregon Country Fair (OCF) is a three-day fair that takes place yearly beginning on the Friday of the second weekend in July in Veneta, Oregon, approximately 15 miles west of Eugene, with an attendance of approximately 45,000 over the three day period, with attendance peaking 25 years ago, and it might as well be the motto of this most free-form of summer gatherings, which has been happening in the woods near Veneta since 1970. "It's the best playground I know of for kids of all ages," Parker adds. This is the year of the numerical palindrome palindrome: see anagram. : 2002, the 33rd fair and the 11th year at the fair for General Manager Leslie Scott Leslie Scott may refer to:
adj. Relapsing; recurring. significance. What this says about the event (it looks the same forwards and backwards?) nobody seems to know, but many suggest that this fair has taken on renewed significance in light of what's happening in the world. `So many people have said to me, `I just couldn't wait to get out there,' ' Scott says. "It's a chance to come out here and just be ourselves and not have to feel any fear and not have to feel that sense of caution. There is a sense of gratitude here, and it's palpable. You can smell it; it's in the air." There will, of course, be other curious scents floating through the air at this year's fair. And speaking of smells, this year's festival will feature many of the same steamy curries, grilled kabobs and homegrown organics that make the fair such a smorgasbord of healthful health·ful adj. 1. Conducive to good health; salutary. 2. Healthy. health  ful·ness n. treats.
New food vendors include Maty's Peruvian, Coyote Kitchen and the Chautauqua Chau`tau´qua 1. a meeting, usually held in the summer outdoors or under a temporary tent, providing public lectures combined with entertainment such as concerts and plays. It originated in the village of Chautauqua, N. Y. Cafe. If year of the palindrome or the year of gratitude are not clear enough themes for you, then you can call this year's Oregon Country Fair the year of the spoken word artist. Ram Dass “Richard Alpert” redirects here. For the fictional character from Lost, see Richard Alpert (Lost). Dr. Richard Alpert (born April 6, 1931), also known as Baba Ram Dass, is a contemporary spiritual teacher who wrote the 1971 bestseller Be Here Now. , a guiding force in the psychedelic movement, will be a featured speaker, along with satirist, author and stand-up stand·up or stand-up adj. 1. Standing erect; upright: a standup collar. 2. Taken, done, or used while standing: a standup supper; a standup bar. comedian Paul Krassner. Organizers had long been hoping to add more wordsmiths to the fair's lineup, and the death of Ken Kesey Noun 1. Ken Kesey - United States writer whose best-known novel was based on his experiences as an attendant in a mental hospital (1935-2001) Ken Elton Kesey, Kesey last November persuaded them that this was the year to do it. "Our culture doesn't have a lot of elders. We're inviting the elders to come and speak to us," says Doug Green, backup fair manager. In honor of Kesey, the Further bus will be featured at the fair today, and the Main Stage will be dressed in Kesey-esque bunting. Zane Kesey will read one of his father's stories. Today's Main Stage entertainment also will include a performance by the Grateful Dead impersonators from the Dark Star Orchestra Dark Star Orchestra (or simply DSO) is a U.S. tribute band to the Grateful Dead, formed in 1997 and based in Chicago. Overview Dark Star Orchestra achieves notoriety by performing shows from among the nearly 3,500 that the Grateful Dead performed during their 30 , at 5 p.m. The band, which will be introduced by Mountain Girl, will re-create one of the Dead's famous Veneta performances. Former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann Bill Kreutzmann (born May 7, 1946 in Palo Alto, California) was the drummer for legendary rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire 30-year career. Kreutzmann started playing drums at the age of 13, despite having been told by his sixth grade music teacher that he and his band, the Trichromes, will play at 3:15 p.m. The Lions of Batucada, a giant samba percussion ensemble A percussion ensemble is a musical ensemble consisting of only percussion instruments. Although the term can be used to describe any such group, it commonly refers to groups of classically-trained percussionists performing primarily classical music. with upward of more than; above. See also: Upward 50 members, will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday, and the Gauurneri Underground, Afro-Celtic flamenco fusionists from Seattle, will play at 8 p.m. The local bands LAZOO, Son Mela'o and Abakadubi also will play on the Main Stage on Saturday. On Sunday, Tina Malia & the Modern Day Mystics will play trance dance
Of course, there are plenty of other stages, with too many acts to keep track of. Your best bet, fair veterans say, is to make your way out to the site and follow your ears. One new addition to the fair that won't be seen by most visitors is a 13-acre parcel of land that brings the entire spread to nearly 400 acres. The land was slated to become a subdivision until the fair organization bought it last year, naming it Alice's Wonderland after the former owner. "The fair can't afford not to do these kinds of things," Scott says of the land purchase. Along with a house and newly planted garden, the fair's new property includes a sign shop, in a converted cattle house. The shop provides artists with a place to create and store the hundreds of painted plywood signs that direct visitors through the festival's labyrinthian paths. The fair is continuing its efforts to cut down on waste. Last year, the total waste was reduced by six tons, recycling was increased by three tons and a composting system helped do away with plant waste, Green says. The fair hopes to reach its goal of zero waste by 2003. Green, who lives in Northern California, has been coming to the Oregon Country Fair for the past seven years. He is one of nearly 3,000 volunteers who help make the event happen year after year. He compares the experience to a health spa he doesn't have to pay for, and he says he always leaves the fair feeling better than when he arrived. "What we do here might not change the world," Green says, "but we can live the life that we'd like to see in the greater world at large." OREGON COUNTRY FAIR WHAT: Music, dance, art, crafts and food WHEN: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday WHERE: West of Veneta on Highway 126 TRANSPORTATION: Free LTD LTD 1 Laron-type dwarfism 2 Leukotriene D 3 Long-term depression, see there 4. Long-term disability bus service with advance admission; buses leave from the Eugene downtown station and from Valley River's southwest parking lot; parking at the fair is $5 per vehicle TICKETS: For Friday and Sunday, $12 in advance or $14 day of show; for Saturday, $15 in advance or $17 day of show; children 10 years of age and younger will be admitted free if accompanied by a paying adult; no tickets sold at the fair site TICKET OUTLETS: Erb Memorial Union ticket office at the UO, the Hult Center box office and Fastixx outlets in select Safeway stores; tickets also are available by phone at (800) 992-8499 and on the Web at www.fastixx.com RADIO: KLCC-FM (89.7) will broadcast live from 11:15 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily SAMPLES: To hear music by Bill Kreutzmann and the Trichromes, call GuardLine at 485-2000 and select category 9942 ALSO: For more information, go to www.oregoncountryfair.org CAPTION(S): Paul Krassner The Fair turns 33 |
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