The 47th annual Oregon Country Fair certainly isn’t shy of pageantry and spectacle. But getting the 280-acres prepped and ready for the crush of crowds this weekend doesn’t happen on its own. KLCC’s Brian Bull visited the fairgrounds while crews and vendors set up, and learned right off that preparation is all a matter of scale…literally.
A serpentine tail winds across a tall fence, the back half of a large, twisty dragon that spans roughly 80 feet. But without its scales, this mythical beast seems…well, a bit naked. Thankfully, there’s help.
Helen Christiansen and Delaney Miller are using high-pressure staple guns to attach every individual, cedar-wood scale to the dragon. How long have they been at it?
“Long,” they both sigh. The two expect to attach 8,000 individual shingles when all is said and done.
When we asked them during the media tour last Tuesday, both Helen and Delaney figured they were only about a third finished with their most rigorous task.
Preparations for the Oregon Country Fair also involve flowers…lots and lots of flowers. Right inside the area that leads to the dance pavilion, a group of tie-dyed volunteers carry pots with lush bouquets of brightly colored flowers. The pots are then arranged in a row alongside several tents and tables, per the directions of…
“My name is Ashley Demaline, and I’m the coordinator of the Flower Crew.”
At least ten truckloads of flowers – mostly sunflowers – are being unloaded for the event. Demaline says she’s been working the Oregon Country Fair since she was three, a tradition being continued by her helper and three-year-old son, Mason, who quietly leans against her leg. Demaline’s favorite part of the fair?
“I love the land here and the history with it. People have been gathering on this site for over 10,000 years, to celebrate. And that’s just what I love the most about it.”
And with rain predicted in the weekend forecast, Demaline’s efforts won’t wither.
Last year’s event drew in 52,000 visitors. Organizers are hoping for another good turnout, for the state’s biggest gathering of counterculture musicians, artists, vendors, and visionaries.
