The Oregon State Fair started Friday, marking the beginning of the end of fair season in Oregon. Entering its 157th year, the state fair landed in Salem to bring Oregon a final taste of summer fun. This year brought lots of the usual players to the scene as well as some newer attractions making their bid to become new traditions.
Anthony Barriere, right, blows bubbles from a bubble gun to bring in carnival pedestrians looking for souvenirs and toys at the Oregon State Fair.
Caden Perry / OPB
This year was one for the thrillseekers. Opening the fair was hard rock band Bush with a loud setlist to set the tone for the next two weeks. They started with some sound issues, but their charisma prevailed as they got the crowd into some chants while the troubles were being fixed.
Down the road from the concert, the livestock showcase had its own air of intensity. Competition was all around with hearts being fulfilled or broken in every pen.
“People don’t realize what all goes into some of these. It was a long day for all of us,” said Isaac Nussbaumer, a cattle raiser from Washington County, about the beef livestock competition. They started at 7 a.m. washing and relaxing the cows to make the drive to Salem from Hillsboro and stayed at the fair all night.
Isaac Nussbaumer from Washington County rests with his show cow at the Oregon State Fair on Aug. 25, 2023. "Wasn't our best day, I only got fourth place," Nussbaumer said. "But my sister got second place. So, it's not all bad."
Caden Perry / OPB
For those not interested in the animals, the massive carnival rides were hard to skip. The Insomniac Helm ride was a hit with five different directions to flip around all with pounding dubstep coming from the base of the flailing structure.
“It’s almost funny like — do you really need the music on top of all of that?” said Carmen from Beaverton. Despite the skepticism, Carmen was still filing into line with everyone else. There were also the classic rides like the Ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirls and giant swings that still bring in long lines of people as they have for decades.
This year’s fair also had no shortage of classic fair food. Some prices might seem steep, but it is hard to deny the spectacle of a 1-pound brick of curly fries held up by no less than five paper plates. New to the fair this year was a boba tea tent, deep-fried blooming onions and charcuterie boards.
If all of this doesn’t sound like a sprawling event, taking the air lift across the entire fairgrounds shows the scale that the state fair offers. The air lift takes travelers from one corner to the opposite diagonal corner of the whole fairgrounds. It would take someone 30 minutes of ducking crowds and navigating tents, but the air lift gets it done in 15 minutes with no interruptions. If nothing else, the state sair thrillseekers can find entertainment in being above the rest of the fair as they go from one section of excitement to another.
The carnival section of the Oregon State Fair from the air lift on Aug. 25, 2023. The Oregon State Fair goes on through Labor Day, Sept. 4.
Caden Perry / OPB