Dennis Wiancko
SOGGY BOTTOMS
Memories of sneaking into the fair at dusk. ■ By Marina Taylor
14 JULY 10, 2003
difficult by many things. The more people
who stay overnight, the more security is
needed. If too many people stayed, all
kinds of horrible things would be neces-
sary, like street lights. So the fair commu-
nity has tried hard to keep people not relat-
ed to the business of the fair out. For some,
that has created a mighty tasty looking for-
bidden fruit.
The sweep patrol is the first line of
defense. A group of people hold hands and
walk the entire fairgrounds, gently usher-
ing out people who don’t have wrist-bands
showing that they belong. The ones shuf-
fled out get put on the bus back to Eugene,
without the benefit of the exclusive night-
HEAD TO TOE HIPPIE Deckin’ Out for the Fair
Oregon Country Fair is here once again and that means it’s time,
of course, to plan your festival attire.
For advice on how to be best dressed at OCF, you’ve come to
the right place. De Rigeur would suggest a total unmakeover; from
your shiny hair and matte skin to your pale legs and stocking-clad
feet.
Let’s start at the top. For the most mod in Country Fair hairdos
you’ll need more of a head start than this, but I’ve heard the
best dreads begin with pieces of an old wool sweater, a
home perm kit, and a massive amount of patience.
For the face, I recommend SPF 30+. Kiva
has the whole ALBA
Botanical
sunscreen
line. On top of that it
should be all glitter-
licious. Check out
Backstage Danceweare
for the shiny stuff. They’ll
have you so sparkly you’d
look like a disco ball if you
hung from the rafters by your
heels. But wait, that’s a different
decade. Back to the fair.
For women, I suggest body paint and glitter
swirled in various mystical patterns across the
torso. If clothing up top is preferred, leave your
bras at home and sport one of the backless cor-
Dominic
DeFazio
A couple of lifetimes ago, I found
myself in a willow bush, a feast for mos-
quitoes, cramped from squatting for three
hours, waiting for the time of my life. That
was the first and last time I ever snuck into
the Oregon Country Fair.
The fair feels to me like a celebration
out of another time. It’s like The Great
Gadsby’s week-long parties, Elizabethan
hunting trips, Native American potlatches,
parties that bring a group of people togeth-
er for days to celebrate, whatever the occa-
sion. There aren’t many rituals these days
that justify a three-day party, and that’s part
of what makes the fair so special. No one
can afford to host one, not everyone can
schedule one in.
I’ve been a Fair child, off and on, since
I was 5 years old. The family would pile
into the van and camp out with friends. My
memories are dim: I remember heat and
swimming, naked men dancing with fire,
jugglers and bubble blowers. I remember a
great time, most of it happening at night
when the consumer-driven crowds had
gone home. So when I came to Eugene for
college, the fair was again the thing, and I
wanted to stay all night.
However, now there was no parent to
pay, and no camping passes to be had any-
way. The seemingly logical plan was to
sneak in. Legends of great break-ins
abounded. Friends told of a 14-year-old
girl who could make totally real-looking
wrist bands out of Fimo modeling clay.
One guy claimed to have hidden in a tree,
another recommended hiding in the sleep-
ing bags in a camper’s tent. That sounded
dangerous, or stuffy, so my friend and I
opted for the water method.
Sneaking into the overnight fair is made
time celebrations and free admission the
following day.
The water method we tried would avoid
the human chain, but had a couple draw-
backs we hadn’t anticipated. (Not that we
really were anticipating types!) The way it
worked was, when we heard the sweeps
were coming through, we found a bank
with a gentle slope, took off our pants and
waded, waist deep in very icky water, to
the brush on the other side. There we
crouched, with nothing to read or do, get-
ting eaten by bloodthirsty insects, unable to
speak above a whisper, for three full hours.
Canoes paddled up and down the water-
way, looking for us. Yellow Jackets in a
papery hive in a nearby Alder tree buzzed
menacingly, also looking for us. We were
fugitives.
Finally night fell, and we climbed the
bank back to fair territory. It was chilly that
year, at 9:30 pm anyway, and we were wet
and underdressed. The flush of victory
from eluding the patrols was brief. The
highlight of the evening had to be the Pad
Thai we convinced Bangkok Grill to fix up
for us: Nothing ever tasted better.
We’d forgotten to pack any food, or
extra clothes or flashlights or bedding for
that matter. We spent hours searching the
dark for other friends who may have made
it through the sweep, and found a few. At
midnight we made it to the show at the
mainstage, where we sat way in the back of
a surprisingly large group of people, and
totally failed to see any naked fire dancers.
I fell asleep.
By 2 am the rocks in the grass and the
cold had me wide awake. We stumbled
over to the saunas, and spent the rest of the
night trying to stay warm. I heard beautiful
music: a flutist playing in the dark, acoustic
guitars around a campfire and chanting, but
there was no rest anywhere. By the time the
fair finally opened the next morning, and
the stream of LTD buses began their to and
fro, I was more than ready to go home, take
a hot shower, slip into something clean and
sleep that fair away. I go in the daytime
now, and I still bear scars from those fero-
cious mosquitoes. ★
■ By
y
Erin Lusk
duroy and floral print patchwork tops from Sweet Potato Pie. For
men wishing to remain clothed, tie-dyed shirts are the trippiest
things around. RIT dye, some rubber bands and some ingenuity can
spice up even the most uninteresting apparel. Circle of
Hands or Sweet Potato Pie has shirts for those not wish-
ing to also sport tie-dyed hands.
Below the waist, I recommend hemp or cotton shorts
in darker neutral colors with plenty of pockets. Grass,
dust and various spilled food items tend to make lighter-
toned pants and jeans look particularly unfestive. The
more pockets, the more freedom you’ll have from tot-
ing a bag stuffed with sunscreen, water, sunglasses,
and of course, your wallet.
For me, OCF is all about the acces-
sories you also carry in. Flying
Clipper has the best hackysacks
and devilsticks. Greater Goods
has great drums and hats at
pretty decent prices. If you
need a bit more adornment,
Little Toad Designs makes the best
masks, capes, hats, and headpieces in the most
fanciful designs for the whole family.
Make sure to drink plenty of water. Fairy days are often
HOT. Nalgene water bottles in a variety of sizes and col-
ors are available at McKenzie Outfitters for excellent
prices. ★