Sometimes A Great Notion...

Yes, my friends, I am referring to the legendary Oregon Country Fair.

but first, some context.

It's been really hot around here. I want to be very, very clear that I am NOT complaining, just stating the facts. I will take the heat over the rain happily. Please, sir, can I have another?

It's been so hot that persistent inter-species disdain has become indifference and skirmishes have been (temporarily) suspended.

A sight to behold!

So I heard about the Oregon Country Fair when I was 16. I was on a backpacking trip in Oregon during summerbreak and when we stopped in civilization for showers and laundry and burritos, newspapers were really exciting. Mind you that we were out in the woods for about seven or so days at a time, so it wasn't like America added a new state or something while we were gone. But still, things happened and I have never been so interested in the newspaper before or since. Jerry Garcia died during one of the those brief retreats, but that's a whole nother sad story. I liked to fancy myself as something of a hippie (ha) back in those days, which is probably why this blurb about the OCF was so appealing to me at the time. I still remember the little black and white picture of Peaches, the parade-leading mascot of the event... now I have my own picture:

but, wait for it, I'm getting there....

So I have been intrigued about this event for 1/2 my days. Now that we are living in Eugene, we started to see the posters showing up around the Whit and actually thought to ourselves "Should we go?" Friends, WHAT WERE WE THINKING!? We almost didn't go.... why?

1) I no longer fancy myself to be something of a hippie.

2) I heard there was nudity and more...

3) I heard there were drugs 

4) No one could give me a straight answer about WHAT Oregon Country Fair actually is.... 

"Is it like a music festival?" There is music, but not really.

"So is it like a craft fair or one of those crazy renaissance thingers?" Umm, no I wouldn't say that...

"It's like a circus or a freak show?" Kind of. Elements of those things...

5) Did I mention it's hot here?

6) The night before we competed in a highly competitive Flip Cup Tourney.

Sadly, the #1 seated Jungle Savages (our team) were crushed in a stunning upset by To Catch A Predator. I have to admit that my performance may have been affected by the male gynecologist wearing a pink bob wig who was excessively heckling me yelling "PIGEON! PIGEON! PIGEON!" I am not even kidding either. Maybe it was because my keg cup had Pigeon written on it. Not only my dj name and blog pseudonym, but now also my official Flip Cup moniker. If you don't know about Flip Clip here you go:

Pigeon, 31 is too old to be playing drinking games you might say. Let me tell you, I shamefully admit that I like to add a competitive element to my drinking and it was super fun. I can't believe I forgot my camera, almost went home to get it. The next morning, I was so glad I didn't.

So anyway, needless to say, we were not fresh for the fair. But curiosity got the better of us and off we went.

Do you like how I tried to pretend I was taking a picture of my man, when I was really taking one of those people across the bus? I'm so sneaky!

The Oregon Country Fair has been around for 41 years. The extremely aggravating description that I kept getting from people was really true. It's not like anything you have ever seen. It's like Disneyworld. For hippies. Even more than having a great time, I left astounded about the necessary organization and teamwork that makes this beast possible. Look at the map! I didn't do this til I got on the bus and I thought, oh my god.

It's like 200+ acres with attendance close to 20,000 per day. Plus the 20,000 total volunteers to run and work at the fair. Seriously.
When the bus pulled in, there were dozens of volunteers along the way waving you in like you were their best friend they've been missing for a year. It seriously felt like how Floyd greets my man after he's been at work all day. But more excited.
In attempts to describe the 'undescribable" I'll stick to images mostly.

There was a little of this:

I'd say a couple hundred people involved in this parade...

This was billed as Siamese Twin Strip Magic Act

The crowd: Unfortunately, we were in the sunny group. 

This was one of the cooler costumes... those hipsters at Sasquatch were half-assed compared to these party-goers

This guy says to Frank "Unfortunately, I wrote this song." 

It was about aliens. 

Lots of this type of thing:

Some of this... Can you spot my man?

I did not see any agents from Child Protective Services....

This band was awesome Bucky Walters from Arcata CA. They ended with a bluegrass cover of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer!"

We saw the Gourds and Hot Buttered Rum too. 

So turns out the nudity part was true. I think that the orgies don't happen until late night... (just kidding!) All us normal ticket buying folks have to leave at 7pm, then the real party starts. I guess they have this thing called "the sweep" where the volunteers who get to stay hold hands and start at the back and literally sweep everyone out the exit. It takes about 2 hours for them to sweep the whole fair.

Another really cool thing is that I have a good friend from Missoula who has been going to the Fair for 23 years straight so I got to see her and go 'behind the scenes' a little bit.

That makes her an 'elder'

We didn't want to leave.

The crying gnomes were a very nice finishing touch.

"I'm going to miss you so much."

All in all, it was a wonderful event. All I hoped for and more.

Meanwhile, back at the old homestead.

I really, really, really hope our grass grows in before September. I do not want the 'aisle' for our backyard wedding to be a dirt path.

Please think grassy thoughts for me.