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About Appeal tribune. (Silverton, Or.) 1999-current | View Entire Issue (March 31, 2021)
SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2021 | 3B A person tends to a row of tulips at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival on Wednesday in Woodburn. PHOTOS BY ABIGAIL DOLLINS/STATESMAN JOURNAL TULIPS, ART AND MUSIC Which beloved Salem-area festivals will return this year? vintage trucks, fire apparatus, logging gear, and early Oregon flour mill and steam sawmill. Rides include a historic trolley and miniature railroad. More information can be found at antiquepowerland.com/steam-up. Whitney Woodworth The 56th Mount Angel Oktoberfest is set to return in person once again Sept. 16-19 “as close to ‘normal’” as organizers said they can make it. The beer- and food-filled fall festival has included wiener dog races, dancing and live music in the past. Some COVID-19 restrictions may still be in place, but organizers are planning entertainment, a kick-off dinner and street food. Ticket sales are delayed un- til further determination can be made about the size of the crowd allowed. More information can be found at oktoberfest.org/. Mt. Angel Oktoberfest Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK With COVID-19 cases declining, vac- cines expanding and restrictions on events loosening, many events like the Instagram-worthy Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest and beloved Salem Saturday Mar- ket already are open or set to open this season. Here’s a round-up of what to expect in 2021. A sign advises festival-goers to socially distance at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival on. Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest In March 2020, just as the owners of the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm near Woodburn were set to open their farm to visitors seeking vibrant views of their colorful rows of tulips, the coronavirus pandemic hit Oregon. The 36th annual fest, known for its Instagram-worthy shots of flowers, hot air balloons and windmills, was delayed and then canceled. But the festival returned this year, opening March 19 and running until May 2. All passes purchased for the 2020 festival will be honored for 2021. All tickets must be purchased online and will not be available for purchase at the gate. All-day passes will be released at a limited capacity. Seven days prior to the visit date, the remaining tickets will be released depending on the quantity allowed by state guidelines. Masks are required, and the number of visitors allowed at a time is limited to allow for social distancing. Due to the “hardships in 2020 and the struggle of our family farm,” festival organizers increased the prices of the tulip festival to $20 for a weekend day pass and $15 for a weekday pass. More information can be found on- line at www.woodenshoe.com /events/tulip-fest/ Salem Saturday Market The Salem Saturday Market weath- ered through the spring, summer and fall of 2020 with increased coronavirus restrictions. This year, the market returned early on March 6. Hundreds of people attended the opening day and continue to frequent the event every Saturday in downtown Salem. Customers are encouraged to mask- up and follow signage as they browse for produce, artisanal items and baked goods. The market also is expanding to the fully-available space to allow for more distancing. Additional information on the mar- ket and other community markets opening this year can be found online at salemcommunitymarkets.com/ World Beat Festival Not every event canceled in 2020 will be returning this year. The pandemic postponed the World Beat Festival in March of last year. The event, founded in 1998 by the Salem Multicultural Insti- tute, annually heralded in the spring with music, global cuisine, dragon boat races, art exhibits and even a natural- ization swearing-in ceremony in 2019. The festival was created with the hopes of exposing people to and high- lighting different cultures. World Beat Festival organizers post- ed on their website: “Alas, the 2021 World Beat Festival is canceled. Onward to World Beat Festi- val 2022!” A schedule of next year’s event will be posted online at salemmulticultu- ral.org/ festival/world-beat-festival when available. Salem Art Fair and Festival Every year, about 35,000 visitors filled Bush’s Pasture Park for the long- held Salem Art Fair and Festival. CO- VID-19 restrictions and concerns over community spread among the throngs of attendees shuttered the event in 2020. Organizers of the 72-year old event were hopeful the event would return this year. Typically, planning takes a year and kicks into gear in March. Hopes of returning were soon dashed. “With much optimism, the Salem Art Association looked forward to holding an in-person Salem Art Fair & Festival for 2021,” organizers said. “However, in the interest of keeping artists and com- munity members safe, and because of the anticipated continued restrictions on large festival gatherings due to CO- VID-19, the 72nd annual Salem Art Fair & Festival will return as a virtual event for 2021.” The virtual fair is set for July 16 to July 18. Updates will be posted online at salemart.org/events/ salem-virtual-art-fair/ Oregon Ag Fest Like so many others on this list, Ore- gon Ag Fest — an annual festival held in April celebrating the state’s agriculture — was canceled in 2020. The event usually held at the Oregon State Fairgrounds will return, albeit in a different form this year. It will be held April 23-25 at the Clackamas County Event Center in Canby as a drive- through celebration. Families are encouraged to book ahead and will leave the event with an “ag-venture” kit filled with activities and seedlings. Visitors will be able to see animals, farm equipment and Ore- gon crops from their vehicles. “Our three-day event aimed to help families better understand where their food, fiber and flora come from, is a unique learning experience, where drive-by exhibits make learning about Oregon’s vast agricultural industry edu- cational and entertaining,” organizers said. “We strive to bridge the gap be- tween urban and rural life and to share the wonder and abundance of Oregon’s bountiful and diverse harvest.” More information can be found at oragfest.com/ Hoopla Facing postponement in 2020, the organizers of Hoopla hope to bring the street basketball tournament back to the roads outside the Oregon State Cap- itol this summer. “We are planning towards Hoopla for this summer provided that we can do it safely and responsibly,” said Jason Un- ruh, Hoopla tournament director. “We are very hopeful that we can hold our tournament and are coordinating ac- cordingly.” The dates for 2021 are anticipated to be Aug. 6-8. More information will be at oregonhoopla.com/. Races Summer in Salem is typically a busy time for biking, swimming and running races. Many of the racing events post- poned and canceled in 2020 appear to be coming back this year. Organizers of the Capital FC Half Marathon, 10k and 5k races called a pause on their 2020 event and promised to be back in 2021, stating they had al- ready printed the water bottles. Their promise appears to have held, as regis- tration for the June 6 race is now open at cfchalfmarathon.com/ The Rotary Multi-Sport Riverfest was similarly canceled in 2020 but is set to return this year. More information on the event’s triathlon, duathlon, 10k, 5k and family fun run will be available on rotaryriverfestsalem.org/. The Spirit of Oregon Half Marathon, 10k and 5k near the Capitol also is set to return in October after being a virtual challenge last year. Steam-Up The Great Oregon Steam-Up at Po- werland Heritage Park north of Salem promises “two glorious summer week- ends of mechanical history in motion” on July 24-25 and on July 31-Aug. 1. The event is currently celebrating 50 years of continuous operation. Ma- chines on display include farm tractors, Marion County Lamb and Wool Show After being canceled in 2020, the Marion County Lamb and Wool Show is returning to Turner on June 5. The event, created to promote wool and lamb producers while focusing on youth, is family-friendly and will in- clude lamb shows and children classes. More information is available at mar- ioncountylambandwool show.yolasite.com/. KeizerFEST For 40 years, KeizerFEST, formerly known as the Keizer Iris Festival, took place in May, just as the irises were blooming. The 2020 festival was postponed un- til August, and KeizerFEST 2021, held by the Keizer Chamber of Commerce, will run from Aug. 5-8. Organizers said the event will not have the traditional carnival but plan to have a main event tent with music and a beer garden, the KeizerFEST Parade, lots of vendor booths, food vendors, a car show and more. More information will be available at facebook.com/KeizerFEST/ Oregon State Fair Throughout 2020 and 2021, the Ore- gon State Fairgrounds hosted emergen- cy shelters during the wildfires, mass vaccine clinics and a temporary home- less camping shelter. But due to COVID limitations, the site’s banner event —the Oregon State Fair — was held virtually. The concerts, rides, animal exhibits and fair food are a long-held summer tradition for many Oregonians. It is still up in the air whether attend- ees will be able to get their elephant ear fix and concert experience in-person this year. “We are as eager as anyone to see you all back at our fairgrounds!” organizers said. “However, we will continue to fol- low the advice and public health regula- tions of the State of Oregon and the Ore- gon Health Authority. We expect to make an official announcement about our Summer 2021 plans by the end of May.” Stay updated on the plans at oregonstatefair.org/. For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Wood- worth at wmwoodworth@ statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910- 6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth