Vintage cars, vintage wine, and much more!
A vintage car show and wine tasting
make up only a small part of "Eugene
Celebration," a huge festival showcase of
local talent, businesses, non-profit
organizations, agriculture and art. Taking
off downtown today and scheduled to
wind up on Sunday, Oct. 2, Eugene
Celebration promises to be a 3-day party
toasting Eugene culture and
entertainment.
Slated to be an annual event, the
Celebration restores a city-wide festival
tradition, which began with the "Trail to
Rail Festival" in 1926, but was discon
tinued in the 1950's.
Story by Kim Carlson
Photos by Mark Pynes
and Dave Kao
More than 50,000 people are expected
to attend.
"We're trying to resurrect a tradition in
Eugene of spirit and vitality," says David
Filer, the celebration's parade organizer.
Over 150 planners are hoping to pull the
community together while showing the
diversity of life in Eugene, he said.
The first activities begin Friday night
with clowns and the University's
marching band beckoning citizens to the
opening ceremony on the downtown
mall. Eugene mayor Cus Keller will of
ficiate, and "On the Edge," a local theatre
group, will provide free entertainment.
In addition, a huge fireworks display
donated by the Fred Meyer Corporation
will light the sky from Skinner's Butte.
Also open Friday night will be "Eugene's
Extraordinary Eateries," a tent-covered
conglomeration of several area
restaurants selling samples from their
menus priced between 50 cents and $3.50.
Seating, beer and wine will also be
available. The eateries will be open Satur
day and Sunday as well.
Kicking off the event on Saturday will be
a city-wide parade at 9:30 a.m. which
features floats, children with pets or
bicycles, bands, horses, old cars and walk
ing groups.
Also planned for Saturday and Sunday is
a fine arts show, children's activities on
the mall, an Octoberfest, a logging com
petition, a cake competition, an
automobile show, a booth area for non
profit organizations, a beer garden and
wine tasting.
An artist's market, in addition to the
ongoing Eugene Saturday Market and a
farmer's market, will be set up both Satur
day and Sunday.
At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday a laser light
show will be displayed in the parcade at
Eighth Avenue and Willamette Street.
On Sunday Eugene's one-year-old Hult
Center for the Performing Arts will hold
an open house. (See schedule, page 5B.)
The Valley River Center is sponsoring 12
hours of free entertainment in the Silva
Hall. Included are local groups such as
"Mainstage", a theatre company, and
gymnasts from the Oregon Academy of
Artistic Gymnastics.
The Eugene Opera will present "The
Magic Flute" in the Soreng Theatre.
Tickets can be purchased at the Hult
Center ticket office.
For Eugene's rock'n roll crowd, KZEL
FM is sponsoring ten hours of live music
in Studio One, a rehearsal room
downstairs at the Hult Center. Tickets are
% cents for each of the two five-hour
shows.
Local bands, such as "The Cashiers,"
"In Yo' Face," "The Burners” and the
"Robert Cray Band" will provide the
tunes.
Eugene's Conference Center will have
an open house, with lectures by members
of the University community on a variety
of topics, and "The Business Offering,” a
promotional area for local businesses.
Several vintage cars, as well as modern,
unique models will be displayed by area
automobile clubs on 5th Avenue between
High and Willamette Streets.
Cynthia Wooten, chair of the celebra
tion says it's a good way for students to
sample off-campus life in Eugene.
"The Eugene Celebration is a great
re
chance for visitors and people new to the
community to become involved in the city
and to experience the diversity of
Eugene's cultural, service and business
aspects," she said.
Follow the Eugene Celebration's map this
weekend and you 're headed (or some in
expensive culture and entertainment. A
schedule of Sunday's free music, dance
and theatre events at the Hult Center's
Open House is on Page 4B.