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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 2005)
Fair Thee Well 5 Oregon Country Fair 2005 The Times They’ve Been A’ Changin’ The Oregon Country Fair grows up. BY URSULA EVANS-HERITAGE W here can you find a man painted entirely silver, vaudeville per- formers, belly dancers, great food and topless women with painted breasts? Why, the Country Fair, of course (not to be confused with the County Fair, which is bet- ter known for square dancing, farm animals and cotton candy). The Oregon Country Fair is an event like none other and first time visitors may react in different ways — shock, joy or possibly amusement. On my first visit to the Fair, I may have experienced all of these emotions. But I can’t be sure, because I don’t remem- ber my first visit. I was 8 months old. Although my parents never worked for the fair, attending the OCF was a regular part of my childhood. In my 21 years, I’ve prob- ably attended the fair 18 or so times. Lots of things have changed. And then again, quite a few things haven’t. One of the major changes I’ve observed has been the popularity of the Fair. Each year the event seems to attract more people. In recent years it’s been increasingly difficult to navigate through the wall-to-wall crowds. Now about 18,000 people attend the Fair each day. “It’s grown tremendously,” says Mitzi Linn, an artist who’s had a booth since 1979. “It was really loose … I don’t think I even had to pay [the first time I attended the The writer’s very first fair. (She’s the baby.) fair in the early ’70s]” she says. Now, cer- tainly everyone pays — $13 on Friday and Sunday, $16 for Saturday, plus service charges. Another important change that I’ve wit- nessed is the crackdown on drugs and alco- hol. Now when visitors enter the fairgrounds, their bags are searched. In the past, alcohol and drug use were blatant. I specifically remember two men sitting next to me, dis- cussing the “fun magic dot” they were put- ting in their beers. Being a quick 11-year-old, I deduced that they were probably talking about Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, if you catch my drift. “Young people used to come in with coolers of alcohol,” says Linn. “It wasn’t enjoyable … the Fair is more chilled out now.” Here’s something that hasn’t changed: nudity, or at least semi-nudity. I’ve seen more topless women at the Country Fair than anywhere except the beach in Barcelona. But most women who choose to go topless at the fair choose to paint their breasts. Again, this has not changed. If anything, our cultural norms of fashion are going towards less and less clothing for women. Ladies, the media seems to be telling us that we should wear as little clothing as possible as long as we cover our nipples and pubic hair. But whatever you do, don’t cross that boundary. Remember when Janet Jackson’s nipple was briefly exposed at the Superbowl and the panic it created? Well, women at the Country Fair have been defying the cultural nipple taboo by proudly exposing their painted breasts for years. Although the Fair is getting older, bigger and slightly more commercialized (you can now buy a train ride from Portland, hotel stay and ticket package as well as “Fairaphunalia” off its website), it is proba- bly the most authentic dose of hippie counterculture a person can get without trav- eling back in time to 1969. And these days, who couldn’t use a little more peace and love? e EARN $20 CASH! Ch ao P r a Ya The Best Thai Cuisine 5BEST NEW RESTAURANT 5BEST SOUTHEAST ASIAN 5BEST TAKE OUT 2 6 L u n c h S p e c i a l s • Lunch & Dinner, Dine In or Take Out H u g e V e g e t a r i a n S e l e c t i o n s • Family Owned & Operated. 580 Adams St., Eugene (across from Red Apple) • 344-1706 MON-FRI Lunch: 11am-3pm, Dinner: 4:30-9pm • SAT 12-9pm For Delivery Call Pony Express 485-2090 14 JULY 7, 2005 Participate in a study about understanding health care information. You will receive twenty dollars for completing a series of questionnaires. This project will take place in downtown Eugene on July 13-16 from 9am to 3pm. Call 606-2276 to schedule an appointment You must read English fluently. You must be age 18 to 64 to participate. RESEARCH COORDINATED BY NORTHWEST SURVEY & DATA SERVICES.
