Annual weekend draws fairgoers By Lla Salcicci* Hr !H> Oregon D»'t f meraKJ VENETA — Every year for one July weekend, this small town transforms into one of the largest povv wows in the Northwest. Last weekend the 25th annual Oregon Country Fair combined food, crufts, information and entertainment to create what some call the biggest party of the year. Hundreds of vendors, entertainers and patrons turned out Friday through Saturday. The sun shone upon the crowd, which consisted of chil dren. teens, adults and senior citizens. There were many things one could spend money on. but the entertainment, save for the fair's cover charge, was free. There was Tom Noddy, a Country Fair veteran who blows bubbles for a living. His specialty is smoke bubbles, aided by cigarettes He told the crowd at the Circus theater that he tried to quit smoking except when creating smoke bubbles, but "it didn't work; I needed a bubble after every meal." There were the Rodz sisters, a country duo who sang songs such as "Take us hack to the men like the men of Bonanza." There were the Flying Instruments of Karma marching band whose repertoire mi luded the theme song from /fockv and Bullwinkle. There was Marv Hart, who earnestly sang to the crowd. "You have to have a penis if you want to be a priest.” There were larger bands that performed simul taneously on the many stages They included left over Salmon, (amhay and the Sugar Beets There were vaudevillians who juggled every thing from clubs to fire Performer David Lichten stein rode a unicycle while juggling a broom, on egg and a basketful!). And if patrons didn't want to slay in one place for long, they could lie entertained by the parados given twic e daily, ns well as random musii unis and performers A small parade that consisted of seven individuals carrying huge papier-mache eyes, nose and mouth and that walked through the crowd manipulating their huge puppet to say "We love you!" was a real crowd pleaser. If patrons wanted to learn something, there were stations like Energy Park, complete with an elec trie car. solar panels where food was c ooked, and information on everything from the sure of the atmosphere to the merits of hemp Whitebird Medic al Clinic: provided first aid and medical assistanc e for the sic k or the overdrugged The Country Fair staff, which was c omprised of hundreds of individuals, were there to trou bleshoot whatever problems arose That way, the patrons could c onc entrate on oth er issues, like the passer-by who looked earnestly at her companion and asked. "I have a question about mv crystal. Should I put it on black or pur ple satin V l*N:rto by fbor»A* Tom Noddy, who 's been biowing bubbles lor 21 years. Is an Oregon Country Fair veteran and stage act. Oregon Country Fair after hours where the most fun is at By Ua Salciccia f or ifw Oregon Dotty fm&Md If you live in Oregon. < fiances arc you have gone to the Oregon Country Fair at least once If you haven't, then you have probably heard others talk about it And if you've heard others Reporter s Notebook talking about it. most like lv they spoke about the part of the lair not open to the general pub lic — the i .imping that involves only the staff after everybody without .1 camping pass goes home That part, people will tell vou. is the most lull part of the lair. i dot ided to find out just how fun the after-hours partying real ly was. 1 muck past "tlie swoop’' that weeds out people with only the day passes and < amped both nights, fins notorious swt-ep ion sists of about 50 staffers who hold hands, sing and push everybody out of the exit at H p in. every night. In order to protect others who might use the same method. I'm not saving how i did it I will sav that I didn't sneak in by hiding m a tent for two hours. I did it for you. the Emerald readers who are dying to find out what e\ai t !y the "best per! I the lair' is all about For one thing, there are far less people In Countrv Fair jargon, they are called the "fair family For another thing, after hours is the tune when most of the fami ly dts ides to embark on psvi lie delu journeys. Hut the main lure of it all. besides the lai t that camping is only offered to alt elite crowd, is the Midnight Show On Satur day night, a parade winds through the fairgrounds' Figure eight and lands on the main stage, comment ing in a three hour show Although many of the performers were the same ones w ho had heen roaming the fair in the daytime, the subjet t matter of their perfonnant es were slight ly different. In other words, it could fie con MVMMDDy inomtiy abandoned his small < an ol huh hies and five-inch hnhhltt hlow (>r for a hug« wading pool fillud w ith soap and a contraption that allowed him to blow (rubbles that were up to six fuel long The show ended in tin- way tli.it it ulwiivs ends, with Ihr I h iii|i Karamazov druthers stripping down to their birthday suits ntul juggling tori ties A party i (in sisting of imii li drumming, how l mg and laughing ensued f WUNDERLAND 5Cv®eo GAMES 5lh STREET PUBLIC MARKET 683-8464 ( - VIDEO ADVENTURE i VALlf t RIVER PL A2A Cash For Textbooks Mon Sat Smith Family Bookstore 76d E. 13th t Block From Campus 345-1651 ■! Opticolor Film 135/24*100ASA 199 One Day 4* Reprints 290« 1-Hr Photo 2'* Set 4* Prints 996 Overnight 2^Se\ 3* Prints 99C Opticolor Film 135/24*100ASA Mon Tim Weds Than Fri Your Bookstore UNIVERSITY OF OREGON A PARTNER IN YOUR LDUCATION