Ah
Oregon
Country
Fair
— it ain’t just for hippies and trippers no more. In fact, it hasn’t been an
exclusively extended drug orgy for a long time (see “Notes of a Fair Virgin”
for a hilarious meditation by a non-Fair goer), if it ever was. Yes, the Fair
channels the communal, carnivalesque spirit of the Age of Aquarius, but over
the years it has evolved and developed into something a bit more mainstream,
a bit less narcotic and yet an event unique unto itself: a distinctly Northwest
dream of utopia, a self-sustaining alternative village gripped by a kind of
kaleidoscopic Renaissance spirit, where folks give free reign to their artsy-
craftsy eccentric selves. The Fair, in this sense, is not only kid-friendly; it
brings out the kid in us all — playful, awestruck, devious, voracious, a bit
dirty behind the ears and full of boundless curiosity.
Oregon Country Fair runs Friday through Saturday, July 8-10; for info and
tickets, visit oregoncountryfair.com.
Variety,
the spice of life
OCF Lineup Keeps Vintage Performance Arts Alive
ike sunburns and fannypacks, vaudeville-style comedy and variety
shows are a part of the Oregon Country Fair experience. In fact, OCF
devotes entire stages to all sorts of popular entertainment from the age
of daguerreotypes like tap dancing, puppetry and poetry readings.
Fair favorite Artis the Spoonman performs four times this year,
kicking off 1:30 pm Friday, July 8, at the Daredevil Vaudeville Palace.
Artis heads over to the Kesey Stage at 3:15 pm Sunday, July 10. See
oregoncountryfair.org for a full list of Artis’ performances.
For juggling fans, OCF has you covered: Jugglemania featuring Rhys Thomas, a performer
with "hilarity and dexterity" who has opened for the likes of The Smothers Brothers and Weird
Al Yankovich. Jugglemania performs first at the Monkey Palace 1 pm Friday, July 8.
The Charlie Brown Comedy Juggling Show performs 5:30 pm Friday, July 8, at Stage Left,
and Mud Bay Jugglers with the Tune Stranglers perform at 2:30 pm Friday, July 8, at The
Daredevil Vaudeville Palace. For additional information on juggling performances, check the
Fair’s website listed above.
It’s an election year, and like the Merry Pranksters of yesteryear, OCF hasn’t forgotten the
political preoccupations of the event’s founding generation. This year, catch Henrik Bothe of
Bellini Twins and Flaming Heterosexuals, who will reflect everyone’s Trump-o-noia with the
All American/No Foreigner Variety Act. The “family-friendly show” promises “hardly any
nudity.” The All American/No Foreigner variety act begins its OCF residency 11 am Friday, July
8, on Stage Left, with additional performance times and locations listed online.
Kicking off their string of OCF appearances 11:30 am Friday, July 8, at Daredevil Vaudeville
Palace, sketch comedy act Festival The Show mixes “original music, elaborate costumes, larger
than life props and high flying acts.” Check online for other performance times and locations.
Rounding out, and arguably headlining OCF ’16’s variety show offering, is Portland’s
Wanderlust Circus, bringing “aerialists, acrobats, contortionists and our cabaret orchestra” for
“a magical fairytale of life on the Endless Road. A brand new show with fresh discoveries from
the past year, and familiar faces from our Golden Age.”
Wanderlust Circus first performs 2:30 pm Friday, July 8, on the WC Fields Stage; additional
show times and locations are online or get a copy of the "Peach Pit," the official program for OCF
available around town and on Fair grounds. — William Kennedy
L
WA NDERLUST CIRCUS
14
July 7, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com