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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2002)
Lane County Fair Special Thrusday, August 15,2002 Since 1 900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Volume 104, Issue 15 Let’s go to the fair ] Relax at fair with quality food, music When Morris Brown opened up his concession stands at the Lane County Fair 50 years ago, the common name for a corn dog was a “pro to pup” and for cotton candy it was “fairy floss.” To day, his two proto pup and fairy floss booths are like a relic, sitting in the corner of the food section at the fair with big, faded letters. But this year, “Brownie’s” famil iar face is missing. Unfortunately, Brown has cancer and is bound to a hospital bed, thus far unable to at tend the event he has dedicated himself to. Despite his ailing health, friends and family still have hope that he will be able to see the fair this year. “It's his goal to make it to the fair for his 50th year,” Brown’s sister-in law, Shirley Kinter, said. Julie Rowse, who is helping with the tiny fairy floss stand, said Brown is beloved in the community because he used to dress as a clown at his cotton candy and popcorn booth on Broadway. “Anyone who has lived in Eugene and is at least 40 years old will say they went there as a kid,” she said. Let’s hope Brown makes it to the fair this year because, despite the heat, the food selection is fantastic. The ex treme temperatures are even benefiting food vendors be cause the only way for scorched fair patrons to cool off is to buy a snack and go sit in the shade. No trip to the fair would be complete without elephant ears and funnel cakes. These two goodies can be found at “Pennsylvania Dutch” for funnel cakes and “Elefantorer” for elephant ears. For a taste of the international, look no further than “Hawaiian Style Foods,” “Jumbo Burritos,” “Mission Mexican Restaurant,” “Oriental Village & Rice House.” “The Doner Haus,” a small booth in the outskirts of the vendor area, is one of the few European food stands. Serv ing “doners” with chicken or vegetables, this food is a de licious way to get a taste of Germany. According to Theresa Bach, a worker at the stand, the recipe comes straight from Germany. Bach’s brother brought it back to America after being a foreign exchange student. After returning, he opened the stand as a way to pay for college. To prolong the tradition, the stand often employs college students. “We try to hire students going to college as a way for them to pay college loans,” Bach said. Food is fun to experiment with, but when the sun is beating down, a cold treat is all that matters. A few ven dors are dedicated to this necessity, including “Dutch Girl Ice Cream,” “Hawaiian Shave Ice” and “Ben & Jerry's Turn to Food and Music, page 9 Montry Reporter Fair information Tuesday through Thursday Friday and Saturday Sunday 11 am to 10 p.m. 1 a.m.toll p.m. Ha.frUo8p.rn. General admission Ages 16 and older $8,00 .es 6-15 $6,00 Children ages 5 and younger FREE $10.50 to $14.60 FREE ‘WH50UW Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Thursday Friday America Travis Tritt Jamie O’Neal Wells Fargo Day Bi-Mart Day Dari Mart Lochmead Day Thursday 11 ajn.tol p.m. 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Boardsports Skateboarding 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Boardsports Skateboarding exhibition 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Raw Edge Break Dance Squad 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A New Era Dance AB day: Pepsi inflatable sports attractions All day: rock climbing wall Friday 11 a m. to 1 p.m, Pepsi Challenge 3x3 Basketball tournament 1 p.m, to 2 p.m. Boardsports Skateboarding exhibition 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Boardsports Skateboarding exhibition 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. KDUK karaoke IPdayrmckcjlimbingwall Saturday 11 a,m. to 1 p.m. Pepsi Challenge 3x3 Basketball tournament I p.m. to 2 p.m. Boardsports Skateboarding exhibition 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Boardsports Skateboarding exhibition 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m Raw Edge Break Dance Squad All day: rock climbing wail Sunday II a.m. to 1 p.m. Pepsi Challenge 3x3 Basketball tournament 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. A New Bra Dance For more information, visit www.atthetair.com. Adam Jones Emerald Summer would not be complete without a visit to the fair. What could be more appealing than an elephant ear and a jaunt on the ‘Octopus’? Fun, food and festivities All right — I admit it. I’m an Ange leno and have never seen a true county fair. Until now. So, I decided it was high time to cor rect that situation, and get my rear off to the Lane County Fair. There are several aspects to the fair to titillate the senses. The midway is nice — not too crowded, and full of the cool carnival games that now, since it’s become a wholesome family affair, you can be moderately sure aren’t rigged. All the favorites are present: ring-toss, Whac a-Mole and the familiar shoot-the-wa ter-into-the-clown’s-mouth game. There’s even a BB gun shooting gallery. The midway is also full of rides rang ing from tame to fear-inducing. Every thing from the Ferris wheel (two of Guest Commentary Pat Payne them there) to bumper cars are part of the spectacle that is midway. For the more whiplash inclined, there’s a ride called the “El Nino,’’ which apparently involves turning people upside down and spinning them in midair; however, I like my lunch right where it is. And speaking of lunch, everyone’s taste is accommodated at the food con course. Vegetarian, Swedish and Ori ental booths compete with good old hot dogs and cotton candy. All the other attractions, however, can’t hold a candle to the popularity of the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s tent. Set up near the main food con course, the tent is an oasis of free water inside the blistering asphalt desert that is the fairgrounds. The lines stretch longer for this tent than for nearly every other attraction. Fairgoers queue up in the triple digit heat, carrying bottles, cups or anything else capable of carrying that ice-cold clear stuff. One of the EWEB staffers at the booth said that the two 10-gallon cis terns that they had set up have to be re filled nearly every five minutes. Some just relax and lounge under Turn to Fair, page 8
