Country Fair: An experience for the experienced
continued from page 7
around the fair and move to the
beat of the drum.
Everyone kept telling me that
you can’t describe the fair, but in
the same breath they’d tell me that
I had to go.
The look in a persons’ eyes
when talking about the fair is al
most as indescribable as the fair it
self. When a person tells you about
the fair — if you haven’t been that
is — it’s as if they made a trip to
Mars for the weekend, chummed
up with a few Martians and came
back with a little piece of the plan
et that they’ll never lose.
And to think, I almost went three
summers in town without going to
the fair, 'the last two years I was out
of town. This year I tried to weasel
my way out of it because I’d just as
sume spend my life in my cave.
Thankfully, I have good friends,
and if you have any intention of
not going to the fair at least once
during your time here, I hope you
have good friends, too.
So if you missed the fair this*
year or you’re just looking for
something to read to keep the mag
ic alive, here’s my humble attempt
to describe it. But just remember,
you can’t even begin to talk about
the fair until you’ve been there.
There are many themes to the
Oregon Country Fair. Aside from
the fairy fantasy world that sucks
you in faster than the thirty min
utes it takes to get there, there’s
great music, tasty food and awe
some crafts galore. And amazing
ly, they are all reasonably priced.
The fair is not like the airport
where they know your trapped, so
they charge you $5 for a piece a
pizza. It’s a portal to fantasy, run by
an amazing group of people who
have one thing and one thing only
on their minds: making sure that
you have your best day of the sum
mer. Okay, maybe they’re also
thinking about the insane after
party they’re all gonna have when
we public types leave.
When you arrive, you enter
through a row of these staff mem
bers in fair shirts, and they all wave
at you and smile, welcoming you
into their world. Before you even
set foot inside the fairgrounds,
you’ll hear at least a half-dozen
times, “Happy fair!”
Sunday being my first and only
fair experience, I entered through
those gates with one glaring mis
conception: For some reason I
thought that the map of the
grounds gives you any chance in
heaven of finding your way
around. People had told me that
the entire fair is a huge maze, but I
didn’t believe them. I figured I had
__ . II—
a map. I have a good sense of direc
tion. I can find my way.
I couldn’t find a thing. I was sup
posed to meet some of my friends
from work at one of the stages, but I
didn’t find them. I thought I went
to the right place, but for all I know
I was on the complete other end of
the grounds.
The maze that is the fairgrounds
is much cooler than anything in
“Alice in Wonderland,” “The
Shining” or “Labyrinth.” It’s huge.
It’s surrounded by crazy vines,
trees and people, and at every turn
of the corner there’s a different per
former, another kind of food to eat
and distinct crafts in little shops.
But for some reason, as long as
you keep walking around you’ll
pop out into some part of the
grounds that you remember. That’s
what the fair is all about: don’t
worry, be happy and everything
will be fairtastic.
Another theme the fair is all
about is the costumes, may not
have the money that Disney has,
but what they lack in funds they
make up for in creativity. And the
best part is anyone is invited to
show up at the fair dressed in any
way they please.
I went in a skirt because I’ve al
ways wanted to wear one, but at
the fair I was just another guy wear
ing a dress. I saw one man dressed
up like he was a bride. Another
woman had an amazing dragonfly
costume, and I even saw a man in a
make-shift Superman costume.
What seemed to be the most
Marie Veverka for the Emerald
The drum circle (left) is one of the fair’s
musical highlights, and the man above
taught onlookers how cavepeople made
fire without bics.
popular costume didn’t consist of
any clothes at all. Many woman
choose to go to the fair topless, and
many of them paint their breasts
with different patterns. I have only
one thing to say about this: You go,
girls. I wouldn’t say that seeing
these women was any better than a
man in a bee costume or a woman
dressed and acting like a clown,
but I think it’s pretty awesome that
we have a place where gender
roles are obliterated.
Don’t worry, be happy and
everything will be fairtastic. The
fair is the kind of place where a
woman can wear what she wants
— or doesn’t want—and she does
n’t have to worry about being an
outcast. At the fair, she’s just anoth
er woman without a shirt.
Call (541) 346-4343
or stop by Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
to place your ad today.
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: c!assads@oregon. uoregon.edu
On-line edition: www.dailyemerald.com
CLASSIFICATIONS
080 Greek Events
085 Greek Announcements
>W0 Birthdays
ABC PUmuiale
WTO I'fllUIMIH
100 Lent & Found
105 T;'ptnj/Resuine Service*
110 iMtnKtkmflMortas
115 Garuge/Maving Sates
120 Miscellaneous For Safe
125 Furniture/Appliances
UOPan/IFsclu
135 Motorcycles/Scooters
140 Bicycle*
145 C omputers/Elet Ironies
158 Tv & Sound Systems
155 Instruments/Musk Equip
!60 Pets & Supplies
185 Sport Equipment
170 Photography Equip
175 Wanted
1*0 Travel & Lodging
185 Business Opportunities
190 Opportunities
195 Recruiting
208 Work Study Positions
205 Help Wanted
210 Houses for Rent
213 Houses for Sale
215 Apartments (Furtwhed)
220 Apartments (linfumeihedt
22$Quad*
230 Rooms for Rent
23$ Duplexes for Rent
238 Sublets
240 Geruge/Storage Space
245 Roommates Wanted
250 Boarding Houses
25$ Housing Wanted
200 Announcements
265 Elections
270 Meetings
275 Club Sports
280 Counseling
285 Services
298 Health & Fitness
295 Food & Drink
300 Campus Ministry
305 Campus Events
310 Arts & Entertainment
315 What’s Happening?
RAIES/DEADLINES/POLICIES
UNIVERSITY RATES
(Must bean enrolled IIO student or affiliated DO Group or Dept)
3 line minimum $3.00/day
Additional lines $1.00/line
PRIVATE PARTY RATE
(non^intvendty/noATbiMlueas related)
3 line minimum $3 JO/day
Additional lines $1.10/line
(approximately 35 pieces or 5^ weds per Hne)
Deadline: 1 p.m. ONE business day prior to publication
Can (541) 3464343 far BUSINESS RATES.
PAYMENT: Prepayment is required unless
billing has been established. We accept Visa,
Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
Receipts may be requested at the time of ad
placement. A purchase order must accompany all
university departmental and student association
ads: Tearsheets provided upon request.
ERRORS/REFUNDS; Please check yow ad!
The ODE will run a classified ad one additional
day as a result of any typographical error that
changes the meaning of the ad, if reported by
1PM. No cash refunds will be issued. ACCEP
TANCE: The ODE reserves the right to revise,
reclassify, reject or cancel any ad at any time.
Political ads are payable in advance and must
dearly identify the advertiser. AIJ real estate
advertising in this newspaper is subject u> the
Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 which mates it
illegal for any person to cause to be published
toy advertisement relating to the transfer, sale,
rental, or lease of any housing which expresses
limitations, specifications or discrimination of
any kind. NOT ACCEPTED: Mail-order ads
(unless a sample is supplied for review prior to
publication); Adoption ads by anyone other than
a licensed agency; Airline ticket sale ads by any
one other than authorired agents.
Four easy ways to place an ad in the Oregon Daily Emerald Classifieds:
1) Stop by Suite 300 EMU, M-F 8a.m.-5p.m. 2) Visit our website: www.dailyemerald.com 3) Call 346-4343, M-F 8a.m.-5p.m. 4) Fax 346-5578
Morning Person?
Make some extra cash!
Apply to deliver the Oregon Daily Emerald, 6:00-8:00am.
newspaper delivery.
6:00-8:00 am every day the Emerald is published.
Requires your own RELIABLE vehicle.
Work study ok. Apply in person, Mon-Fri. 8-5, 300 EMU.
The Oregon Daily Emerald is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workplace.
105 TYPING/RESUME SERVICES
At 344-0759, ROBIN is GRAD
SCHOOL APPROVED. 20-year
thesis/dissertation background.
Term papers. Full resume service.
Editing. Laser pr. ON CAMPUS!
145 COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
HP Pavilion, monitor, speakers,
6GB HD, Pent II, 64MB RAM, 56k
modem, Win 98, MS Works, more,
$800 obo. 349-9445.
150 TV & SOUND SYSTEMS
CASHI We Buy, Sell & Service
VHS VCR's & Stereos. Thompson
Electronics, 1122 Oak, 343-9273
155 INSTRUMENTS/MUSIC EQUIP.
Perfect time to play guitar, piano, or
bass. Learn YOUR favorites! For
lessons call. 342-9543.
200 WORK STUDY POSITIONS
Now hiring for fall term jobs In
Campus Recycling!
Campus Recycling now hiring work
study/ tech fee funded students for
positions beginning September.
Contact Campus Recycling at 346
1529. Leave message with a mail
ing address and phone number to
obtain application.
200 WORK STUDY POSITIONS
NOW HIRING WORK STUDY
ONLY: office assistance for Hon
ors College office. Paid office ex
perience desirable. $8.50 an hour.
Apply at 320 Chapman Hall or call
Janice, 346-2514. Must be work
study qualified for summer term.
205 HELP WANTED
Onsite manager needed for apart
ment complex near campus. Salary
and apt. included. Send resume to:
PO Box 3062, Eugene, OR 97403.
Attention Chinese Students/
Scholars from PRC: Earn $10, par
ticipate in my dissertation research,
done entirely by e-mail. Contact co
coowen® hotmail.com for info.
Easy telephone work. No selling or
experience required. Full or part
time. $7-$12/hr. Call 1-800-572
3361.
Earn $10 Cash Fast!
Thursday, July 13 at 1, 2, 3, or 4pm,
Century room A in the EMU. Native
English speakers only please. 1-3
people needed at each 45-minute
session to answer surveys. Plus
you might win a lottery worth $100!!
Conducted by Ellen Peters and
Paul Slovic, Psychology, UO.
DESPERATE?
Look first in
The
Emerald!