How we wait to get into Zumwalt Campground (ZCG) for the Oregon Country Fair is different than in years past. For those who don’t really know what ZCG is or what goes on there, you can learn more here. The Oregon Country Fair begins on the Friday after Independence Day every year. ZCG, a camping event for people attending the Fair, opens the gate for campers at noon on the Thursday the same week. People travel from far and wide to come to Fair and camp at Zumwalt, and many arrive early on Thursday. For many years, there was a designated staging area off of Jeans Road in Veneta where the Zumwalt tribe would congregate. In 2015, people who parked at the designated staging area were allowed to enter the park before anyone else. Starting in 2016, that practice ended. That is to say, the City of Veneta doesn’t tell campers where to go before the gate opens on Thursday, and there is no preferential entry to the park at the designated time.
Now those of you who have been camping since the early years of ZCG have seen this before. Those were the wild years when people would park willy-nilly on Jeans Road and get busted by the fuzz. Fortunately, cannabis possession laws have changed in Oregon, but you can still get seriously hassled by law enforcement. I’m not going to tell you what to do before the gate opens, but here are some ideas for how to manage that slice of time from dawn on Thursday of Fair weekend and the now well-managed stampede at the Zumwalt gate.
Don't get hung up on when you arrive. If you get to the gate and it isn't open, go get a soda and check back. I double-hippie promise you that EVERYONE with a ticket will get in and find a great place to camp. In the event organizer's perfect world, all Zumwalt campers would arrive in neat ten car packages every five minutes starting when they open the gate. They don’t want you to wait, loiter, hang out anywhere around Zumwalt Park because it pisses off the locals and clogs up traffic. If it works for you to arrive in town around the appointed time, then you are a super camper and your precision scheduling is much appreciated.
Park in designated areas. You are all adults who know where and where not to park. It is legal for you to park in...well...a parking spot. I’m not going to explain what that is. DON’T park on the the shoulder of the road or worse, the nonexistent shoulder on Jeans Road. This is like holding up a sign that says, “Mr. Sheriff, Please come F%CK with me!” Similarly, don’t park on private property. Not sure if it that vacant lot is privately owned? Don’t park there. The fuzz will be on the lookout. Go find a nice comfy and legal place to park. There will likely be other Zumwalt people there which is part of the fun of showing up early.
Camp in a local campground. This is kind of like the rap on parking. Overnight camping in Veneta and Lane County is only allowed in designated campgrounds. Camping on the street is one of the issues that has had the City of Veneta wound up. Business owners have complained about funky buses in front of their businesses and hippies peeing in the bushes. There are oodles of campgrounds in the Mid-Willamette area. Again, you will likely run into other Fair Family while camped and waiting.
Don't piss off the fuzz. Law enforcement are out in force on Fair weekend and will be quick to make a traffic stop if they see something illegal. Here’s some ideas on how to avoid that bummer encounter with the Man:
What this means for your camp spot. The staging arrangement in 2015 really gave preferential treatment to the people who congregated at the designated waiting location and that allowed them to have first pick of camping spots. Things going back to a free-for-all for entry into Zumwalt make getting that perfect spot in the park more of a gamble. Someone showing up in town right at noon and hanging around for a bit on Thursday will have a pretty equal chance of getting a coveted spot as the person who arrived at dawn. Nevertheless, it always seems to work out and everyone has fun.
Now those of you who have been camping since the early years of ZCG have seen this before. Those were the wild years when people would park willy-nilly on Jeans Road and get busted by the fuzz. Fortunately, cannabis possession laws have changed in Oregon, but you can still get seriously hassled by law enforcement. I’m not going to tell you what to do before the gate opens, but here are some ideas for how to manage that slice of time from dawn on Thursday of Fair weekend and the now well-managed stampede at the Zumwalt gate.
Don't get hung up on when you arrive. If you get to the gate and it isn't open, go get a soda and check back. I double-hippie promise you that EVERYONE with a ticket will get in and find a great place to camp. In the event organizer's perfect world, all Zumwalt campers would arrive in neat ten car packages every five minutes starting when they open the gate. They don’t want you to wait, loiter, hang out anywhere around Zumwalt Park because it pisses off the locals and clogs up traffic. If it works for you to arrive in town around the appointed time, then you are a super camper and your precision scheduling is much appreciated.
Park in designated areas. You are all adults who know where and where not to park. It is legal for you to park in...well...a parking spot. I’m not going to explain what that is. DON’T park on the the shoulder of the road or worse, the nonexistent shoulder on Jeans Road. This is like holding up a sign that says, “Mr. Sheriff, Please come F%CK with me!” Similarly, don’t park on private property. Not sure if it that vacant lot is privately owned? Don’t park there. The fuzz will be on the lookout. Go find a nice comfy and legal place to park. There will likely be other Zumwalt people there which is part of the fun of showing up early.
Camp in a local campground. This is kind of like the rap on parking. Overnight camping in Veneta and Lane County is only allowed in designated campgrounds. Camping on the street is one of the issues that has had the City of Veneta wound up. Business owners have complained about funky buses in front of their businesses and hippies peeing in the bushes. There are oodles of campgrounds in the Mid-Willamette area. Again, you will likely run into other Fair Family while camped and waiting.
Don't piss off the fuzz. Law enforcement are out in force on Fair weekend and will be quick to make a traffic stop if they see something illegal. Here’s some ideas on how to avoid that bummer encounter with the Man:
- Don't drive while intoxicated
- Don't drink alcoholic beverages/smoke marijuana on a public street
- Be polite to officers; have a valid drivers license, registration, and insurance card
- Make sure your vehicle's running and brake lights work
- Obey the speed limit on the street AND in Zumwalt Campground
- Don't drive erratically
- Keep all body parts in the vehicle
- Don't throw litter out of your vehicle; secure your load.
- Be calm: Don’t get angry or rude with the officer. Nothing good will come of it.
- Be silent: They can’t bust your for what you don’t say.
- Refuse searches: Repeat after me “I do not consent to any searches.”
- Ask to leave: Determined if the officer has cause to detain you for a suspected crime or if they are just fishing. Ask “Am I free to go?”
- Ask for a lawyer: If things are serious and you are detained then it’s time to ask for legal representation.
What this means for your camp spot. The staging arrangement in 2015 really gave preferential treatment to the people who congregated at the designated waiting location and that allowed them to have first pick of camping spots. Things going back to a free-for-all for entry into Zumwalt make getting that perfect spot in the park more of a gamble. Someone showing up in town right at noon and hanging around for a bit on Thursday will have a pretty equal chance of getting a coveted spot as the person who arrived at dawn. Nevertheless, it always seems to work out and everyone has fun.