When the last rose of summer pricks my finger,
And the hot sun chills me to the bone,
When I can’t hear the song for the singer,
And I can’t tell my pillow from a stone,
I will walk alone by the black muddy river,
And sing me a song of my own,
I will walk alone by the black muddy river,
And sing me a song of my own.— Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia
*
I’ve lived in Oregon for a quarter-century without having experienced the Oregon Country Fair. Last Sunday, Ceili and I fixed that.
Ceili’s friend Odin and his family have been vendors at the Fair for decades, selling tie-dyed clothing and Odin’s hand-crafted horns (with which most any self-respecting fairgoer must be festooned) so we hit the road early Sunday morning and trekked west, over the Cascades through Eugene and still “FURTHUR” west to the verdant fields of Veneta, where the Oregon Country Fair makes its home on six acres under a canopy of towering oaks along the Long Tom River.
It’s full immersion in an alternate reality, a giant countercultural extravaganza of arts and crafts, music, food and tens of thousands of people letting their freak flag fly. Think Burning Man only a lot greener. ’Twas a bit of a flashback to the days of Santa Cruz and Berkeley and Grateful Dead shows. Now as then, I walked along the Black Muddy River and sang me a song of my own…
*
A conversation with an Ent. We discussed our respective canopies.
It would be easy to make the whole thing about wild costumes and bare breasts — which are abundant at the Oregon Country Fair. Yes, it’s louche, in the way that Burning Man or a weekend in Key West are louche. I guess folks’ mileage varies on that. I could have done without the un-unseeable image of the flabby dude in the straw hat wearing nothing but a cock sock, but… diversity, right?
From a Frontier Partisans standpoint, the most gratifying part of the whole deal was the the Upper River Loop, where the Fair paid a little homage to the native archeological sites that have been turned up along the river — which is flashy and floody and inundates the whole fairgrounds each winter. It was just great to see dozens of kids utterly fascinated by primitive living skills demos, including, of course, the art of firemaking with a hand-drill. There were some knife-makers on hand who do really nice work that was well out of my trade reach this weekend. I got away with my possibles intact, spending only on a burrito and a cup of coffee.
Ceili did get her dad a very nice leather cuff in a Celtic motif.
You could surely go broke at the Fair. The vendors are all juried in, and their wares must be hand-crafted and self-made. The work is impressive. I was especially taken with a series of hand-woven Dia del Muerto tapestries, but at $3,000 apiece, well…
Musical instruments, clothing, hats, jewelry — the finest elements of hippy craft entrepreneurship were on display. Also, music. Have to say I found the pathside buskers more compelling than the stage performers, which tended toward electronica — dance music — which I found jarring. Which means I’m old, I guess. There were also some impressive impromptu displays of acrobatics.
When I wearied of the crowds and the scene, I stole a book from the free library — Cormac McCarthy’s The Crossing — and whiled away a couple of contented hours in the shade of the oaks while Ceili and Odin chased down the MarchFourth Marching Band.
I am fascinated by such sub-cultural and countercultural goings on. Seems that most folks at the Fair were simply taking a break from the mundane in an almost fantastical setting. Others have built their lives around finding a kind of permanent Country Fair way of being. As for me, it was a just joy exploring with Ceili, who is becoming adept at finding and walking her own path and singing a song of her own…
Ceili at the OCF.
Next year marks 50 years of the Oregon Country Fair. Looks like it might just roll on forever.
Matthew says
Off topic, but they are making a new Call of the Wild movie with Harrison Ford
https://www.cbr.com/harrison-ford-call-of-wild/
JimC says
Grand!
lane batot says
AWRIGHT! But I reserve the right to be especially nit-picky about their dog portrayals, being a critter geek that read the book so much I can quote from it, and having been influenced by London(and others) to acquire and train sled teams of my own, including part-wolf dogs. So, yeah–looking forward to it, and comparing it with the many film versions already done(of which I think I’ve seen them all…..)
Black Tyrone says
Matthew keep us posted . Not off topic but important for true partisans. Any one have any info on Ridley Scott’s Flashman movie? I am a very very long time fan of GMF.
Brian H. says
It’s easy to dismiss the hippie thing as cliches and stereotypes always have some element of truth in them. But some the most bad ass off the grid’ers I’ve come across at least have a toe in that pool. Some came of age in the original times and never looked back, others were born into it. I reckon it comes from a similar place of “the city’s got nothing for me” as a Frontier Partisan looks from.
JimC says
Yes — the whole “back to the land” movement was/is countercultural. There’s a lot of practical knowledge in that community.
Matthew says
Speaking of off the grid, Art of Manliness has a podcast on how to survive the grid crashes…
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-survive-a-grid-down-disaster/
JimC says
Will listen tonight.
Black Tyrone says
Got a Magic bus all you guys can sit in, in Bethel NY NO not Woodstock but Bethel NY was where the festival was held., just off 17M Sullivan County NY Nice museum and large screen film available. Much mud with Janice and Grace and Butterfield Blues Band as well as FREEDOM!!! Don’t forget Ten Years After and CSN. Hey and Canned Heat as well as Melanie. Sorry “youngins” 1969 I was 18 Not Partisan scrip but who knows? Don’t expect much response . ps large “peace sign ” is cut out on grounds MUCH rain as I recall. ps You all remember General Sullivan’s campaign against the 6 Nations???
lane batot says
Modern day RENDEZVOUS!
Black Tyrone says
Sorry Jim but while very cute and 1969ish Losing sight of {may I be frank?} perhaps your original concept. Ok I am a curmudgeon but no more skulls! and fantasy babes, Burnham , Selous and Boone would chuckle. Sorry guy , I ‘m old and past offending. Best
Pete says
Well holy crap.
Talking to you and another co-worker about your weekend took me back to the first and only time I attended (back then it was the “Renaissance Faire”).
For some reason I thought it was 1974, but a quick G-search informs me that the only time the Grateful Dead was there was ’72, so there it is. Most folks – I suppose – would remember it for the fact that the Dead performed there (if they remember it at all); but not being a Dead-head (or for that matter much of a concert-goer), what I remember most was the veritable plethora of unencumbered breasts that always seemed to be staring me straight in the eye.
Quite the educational experience for an 11-year-old kid, even though I’d been straddling the line between “that” culture and the button-down-shirt culture since I can remember.
Judging from your photos it appears things haven’t changed much (except the breasts, and one can only assume you’re keeping those for yourself).
Thank you and L.E. for the stroll down Mammary Lane!
P.S. You should allow HTML posting here.
JimC says
You are a punster, Mr. Pete. ’72 was a good year for the Grateful Dead.
Patti Jo says
Oh, Pete…Mammary Lane…really.
Yet, I laugh.
lane batot says
WHO YOU CALLIN’ “MAMMARY?
Black Tyrone says
Sorry Arlo and Alice . Richie great chords so simple but thundering!