Story and Photos by Meaghan Morawski
“I’ve never been to Burning Man, but I imagine that this is what it would be like if it happened in the middle of the Oregon woods instead of the Nevada desert,” I said to my friend.
As I walked towards the grounds of the Oregon Country Fair, men dressed as women, women dressed as men, people on stilts, and people performing tricks, waved me on excitedly in the direction of the entrance. If that wasn’t enough to let me know that this once a year, three-day spectacle was going to be an experience, maybe it was all of the naked people I saw upon entering that triggered the surprised curiosity.
The Oregon Country Fair, held every July, just turned forty-two this past weekend, and it was easy to see from walking around that the fair will easily continue for another forty-two years. Everywhere I went there were people walking around whom I could tell have been going to the fair for years, as well as infants who will no doubt grow up attending the fair long after the original fairgoers are gone.
For the eight hours I was at the fair, I walked around in a sort of daze—was this all actually real? It felt like some sort of otherworldly experience that made you start to doubt that there was a very normal and routine society functioning outside of it. As I first walked into the entrance of the fair I was gently motioned to move out of the way by a parade conductor juggling bowling pins. Following behind him were musicians, giraffes, nymphs, and people who were surprisingly skilled at walking and hula hooping at the same time.
As we made our way further into the wooden labyrinth that is the Oregon Country Fair, my friend and I were guided by eclectic music at every turn and amazing smells of equally eclectic food. Deeper and deeper we walked, turning around when we would hit a dead end, and then starting up another path we didn’t even realize had existed.
The fair was full of easily recognizable businesses, such as The Divine Cupcake and Hideaway Bakery, but there was something about their new location that lent a unique air to their familiar cuisine. It probably had something to do with the larger than life, psychedelic, Beatles-esque puppets (think the puppets in Across the Universe during “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”–only more colorful) passing between you and the numerous booths as you ordered your red velvet cupcake and cup of iced coffee.
The fair was mapped out according to different avenues, using names like “Strawberry Lane.” For those who got lost (which it didn’t take a lot to do) there were handcrafted maps set up frequently throughout the fair, as well as newspaper style guides that could easily be stored in bags.
There were plenty of shows taking place on the official stages that where sporadically placed on each avenue of the fair, but perhaps the most interesting part of the fair (aside from the costumes, sparkly shirts, and body painting) were the countless street performers and musicians who set up shop underneath trees and in other wide-open areas. There were people playing ukulele, accordion, saxophone, guitar, recorder, banjo, and even piano.
For someone who had never experienced anything like this event before, I was surprised to find such a sense of comradery amongst perfect strangers—something that is typically missing from our day-to-day lives. People seemed to not mind having to squeeze through the tightly packed crowds, and seemed to actually enjoy taking that time to marvel at the esoteric things that surrounded them.
The fair is it’s own microcosm of crazy crafts (condom roses, anyone?) and chance encounters for the few days that it runs. It’s amazing to think that, despite there being people there from all over the United States, and even the world, that it is still possible to run into old friends or to form solid bonds with new ones. It’s an experience that reminds you that people all have personalities, and that sometimes it’s necessary to let them show in full force.
The Oregon Country Fair is one of those incredibly enigmatic events where it’s hard to describe just exactly what it was you saw and did there all day to people who didn’t attend, but if I had to sum it up in just a few words I would say, “Food, music, costumes, and acute nudity.” If you don’t believe me, you’ll have to check it out for yourself next year!

Gallery • 2 Photos

Impressions of the Oregon Country Fair