The Oregon State Fair is the official

state fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. It takes place every August–September at the Oregon State Fairgrounds located in north

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

, the state capital, as it has almost every year since 1862. In 2006, responsibility for running the fair was delegated to the

Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), officially known (in state law) as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks. In addition, it has pro ...

, and the division is now known as the Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center (OSFEC), which holds events on the fairgrounds year-round.

History

As Oregon agriculture expanded in the early 19th century many communities formed agricultural associations for the purpose of sharing information on farming practices and resources. These groups began to organize county fairs such as the Yamhill County Fair (1850). Shortly thereafter the ''Oregon Farmer'' newspaper began calling for a statewide fair. A group of farmers known as the Oregon Fruitgrowers Association organized the first unofficial state fair in 1858. That year is recognized as the official anniversary year of the fair. 1881 Oregon State Fairgrounds

In 1860, the association merged with other county groups and became the Oregon State Agricultural Society, who held the first official fair in 1861 in the

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

Oregon City ) , image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845 , image_flag = , image_seal = Oregon City seal.png , image_map ...

area. It was felt a larger area was needed and following a proposal by the Marion County Agriculture Society, the second official state fair was held in Salem in 1862 on the grounds of the Marion County Fair, where it has remained ever since. Homesteader John Savage donated of his land, which was three miles (5 km) outside of Salem at the time, while pioneer

John Minto John Minto (born ) is a New Zealand political activist known for his involvement in various left-wing groups and causes, most notably Halt All Racist Tours. A 2005 documentary on New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers listed him as number 89. Tod ...

contributed $1,200 to build a wooden fence around the grounds. The fairgrounds were annexed into Salem in 1921. The fair has been held every year on the same site, except in 1905, because the

Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portlan ...

was taking place in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

that year, and during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

years of 1943 and 1944; instead the fairgrounds were leased to military units as a place to bivouac. Also, although the 1942 fair was held, it was scaled back to only include

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...

displays, livestock exhibits, and displays from 27 Oregon counties, so it was not considered an official State Fair. The fair was also canceled in 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

1967 Fire

In 1967, an arson occurred just before the opening of the fair, burning several large structures. Along with the fair commissioners, Governor

Tom McCall Thomas Lawson McCall (March 22, 1913 January 8, 1983) was an American statesman, politician and journalist in the state of Oregon. A Republican, he was the state's thirtieth governor from 1967 to 1975. A native of Massachusetts, McCall grew up th ...

felt the fair should go on, so many groups donated time and money for the cleanup and sent facilities like tents from as far away as the

Portland Rose Festival The Portland Rose Festival is an annual civic festival held during the month of June in Portland, Oregon. It is organized by the volunteer non-profit Portland Rose Festival Association with the purpose of promoting the Portland region. It inclu ...

so the fair could open.

National Register of Historic Places

The state fairground is the site of two historic buildings listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

: the Oregon State Fair Stadium and Poultry Building Ensemble. The 1919 horse stadium and the 1921 poultry building were added to the register in 2002. The poultry building is known for the "chicken head"

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

sculptures that decorate the exterior. The horse stadium is the oldest state building in Oregon in continuous use.

Heritage oak grove

In 2007, a 200-year-old grove of Oregon White Oaks across the street from the main fairgrounds was designated by the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee as an

Oregon Heritage Tree Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

site. The grove was used as a camping and gathering place by the area's original inhabitants, the

Kalapuya The Kalapuya are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American ethnic group, people, which had eight independent groups speaking three mutually intelligible dialects. The Kalapuya tribes' traditional homelands were the Willamette Va ...

, who collected

acorn The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'' and '' Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne ...

s and camas there. The site later became a camping place for fairgoers who originally arrived in wagons and created a tent city during the fair; the practice of camping in the grove continued into modern times.

Reorganization

Following a period of financial trouble, the

Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...

directed the

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), officially known (in state law) as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks. In addition, it has pro ...

to take over management of the fair in 2006. As of 2008, the fair's slogan was: "It's like a magical enchanted land. Except real."

Events

Through the years the fair has showcased Oregon crops and livestock, arts, and culture, and has hosted many food booths and vendors as well as judging competitions, horse racing and popular entertainers. In 2007 the fair hosted its first

Lucha Libre Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...

(Hispanic wrestling) event.

Facilities

Outdoor concerts are held at the L. B. Day Amphitheatre, which was named in 1987 for

L. B. Day L. B. Day (February 22, 1932 – October 24, 1986) was an American labor union leader and elected official in the state of Oregon. Day served as an International Brotherhood of Teamsters official, state representative, state senator, and appoint ...

, an Oregon State Senator and supporter of the fair. The Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion, completed in 2004, is the newest building on the fairgrounds. The 5,000-seat indoor pavilion is used year-round for a variety of events. The pavilion and parking replaced a badly deteriorated grandstand that was built in 1929, and the horse racing track. Architectural ornaments from the grandstand's facade were to be salvaged and incorporated into the replacement building. The Salem Armory Auditorium is located on a corner of the fairgrounds site, but is not affiliated with the State Fair. This concert venue is owned by the

Oregon Military Department The Oregon Military Department is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, which oversees the armed forces of the state of Oregon. Under the authority and direction of the governor as commander-in-chief, the agency is responsib ...

Gallery

File:Grandstand at Oregon State Fair, Salem, Oregon (3230144112).jpg,

Grandstand A grandstand is a normally permanent structure for seating spectators. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap a ...

s at the fair in 1913 File:4-H participants showing dogs at the State Fair, circa 1975 (5858448308).jpg, A

dog show A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a ''breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ''c ...

at the fair circa 1975 File:The Mighty Chicken Head.JPG, Detail of chicken head on poultry building File:Oregon State Fair pigs.jpg,

Pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...

s at the fair in 2005 File:Chicks Under Heat Lamps (Marion County, Oregon scenic images) (marDA0016b).jpg, Chicks under a

heat lamp Infrared lamps are electrical devices which emit infrared radiation. Infrared lamps are commonly used in radiant heating for industrial processes and building heating. Infrared LEDs are used for communication over optical fibers and in remote c ...

at the fair in 2007 File:Slumbering Pigs (Marion County, Oregon scenic images) (marDA0005d).jpg, Pigs, 2007 File:Department of Forestry at State Fair.jpg, Department of Forestry building, 2015 File:Oregon State Fair 2016 03.jpg,

Llama The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a List of meat animals, meat and pack animal by Inca empire, Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with othe ...

at the fair, 2016 File:Oregon State Fair 2016 12.jpg, Horse show, 2016 File:Oregon State Fair 2016 13.jpg, Another section of fair, 2016 File:Oregon State Fair 2016 01.jpg, Cattle, 2016 File:Oregon State Fair 2016 16.jpg, Pig, 2016 2017-09-02 Oregon State Fair 01.jpg, Alligators, 2017 File:2017-09-02 Oregon State Fair 02.jpg, Horse event, 2017

References

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

{{Authority control Oregon culture State fairs

Fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

Sports venues in Oregon Indoor arenas in Oregon Music venues in Oregon August events September events Fairgrounds in the United States Recurring events established in 1862 Festivals in Oregon Annual fairs Agriculture in Oregon Culture of Salem, Oregon Fairs in Oregon National Register of Historic Places in Salem, Oregon Tourist attractions in Salem, Oregon 1858 establishments in Oregon Territory Annual events in Oregon Festivals established in 1858