OCF Board MeetsThe Oregon Country Fair board held it’s May meeting last night, and what a difference a month makes! At the April meeting there was a sense of uncertainty and mourning. Confusion on the scope and impact of COVID-19 was writ large in the faces and words of staff and board members alike. This month, board members were much more clear eyed and happy to be at the detailed work of overseeing a nonprofit organization. Staff, working at capacity, were clear on their planning work and shared useful information with the board and the Fair family. While struggling like every organization is right now, the Fair leadership showed remarkable resilience bouncing back from the initial impact of the pandemic. The question on everyone’s mind is will the Fair event happen this year. Executive director Wally Bomgaars made it clear that the traditional event we normally see the weekend after Independence Day is not going to happen. That said, Wally and his team are not sitting around crying in their beer. They have been focused on getting a handle on the financial reality of operating a philanthropic nonprofit without having their only fundraising event. It was clear from the staff reports and board comments that the leadership has prioritized communication with the board and stakeholders. The big take-home from Wally’s report is that something will happen. We don’t know what that looks like yet, but some event held at the Fair site is coming. Site manager Shane Harvey shared that he has been hard at work planning small work parties to keep up with the onset of Spring like mowing and trimming. There are plans to open the Fair site to the public, but that work is ongoing. It is clear that work on the Fair site is a top priority and is proceeding as fast as restrictions and safety will allow. Perhaps the most telling comments came from Operations Manager Crystalyn Frank. In a moment of candor, she said, “We [the Fair] are good at doing what we do, but [with COVID-19] we’ve been working hard to figure out how to not do that.” This underscores the change in demeanor of the board and leadership team. Their hard work over the month was evident and easily imagined considering that they are developing a new plan for the organization going into the summer. Crystalyn said as much, “We need to do something we’ve never done before.” Part of that something may be a virtual event, and Crystalyn requested that people with expertise in online meeting and event development with a willingness to help reach out to the Fair. Another key priority for the fair is supporting the artisans, booth holders, and artists of the Fair, some of whom rely on the event for a large portion of their annual income. what about zumwalt campground?Zumwalt Campground is an event sponsored by the City of Veneta for the purpose of providing camping space for attendees of the Oregon Country Fair event. Without a Fair as we have known it, it is hard to imagine that the City would find reason to hold Zumwalt Campground, if that would even be possible under the group meeting restrictions from Oregon’s governor. As things stand right now, Zumwalt Campground ticket sales are postponed until further notice, and it seems unlikely that we will see that notice until next spring. what is a hippie to do?Fair as we know it isn’t going to happen and we don’t know what will come. What can we do? First, follow the COVID-19 guidelines in your area and wear a mask. The quicker we knock down the rate of infection on this virus the quicker we get restrictions lifted. Protect yourself and everyone around you and continue to do awesome hand washing and figure out how to make your mask Fair fabulous.
Next, keep an eye on the Fair. They are not in a good financial situation. The Fair relies on our ticket sales, and all the people who perform, cook, and make all those magical things in the Fair need our support. Whatever event they develop, buy a ticket. If it’s a virtual event, attend it. If they ask for donations, give if you can. The Oregon Country Fair does a tremendous amount of good in the world through their philanthropy and they deserve our support. Lastly, let your freak flag fly in our pandemic restricted default world. This summer make a point of putting on some groovy music, paint your body in glitter, and dance in the sun. Make your own Fair magic right where you are.
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Author: El Scorcho (not his real name)Been camping for Fair at Zumwalt since 1994 and still haven't seen it all. Why else have a blog for something that lasts three days, once a year? I am not an employee of the City of Veneta and have no affiliation with the Oregon Country Fair. Well, I go to Fair and I do volunteer stuff at camp, but that in no way makes this website and blog official. Consume with caution! Archives
April 2024
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