OCF 2025

July 17, 2025 by

Oregon Country Fair 2025 – a Review

Hey there, I’m back from another Oregon Country Fair (OCF). My head is still a little scrambled, and it’s been 3 days since my return from the fields and forests of Veneta, Oregon. This year was another hot one – daytime temps were in the high 80s, and then for the 3 days of the Fair, temps climbed into the 90s. This ends up having an effect on Fairgoers and those who volunteer for the Fair. Right before this year’s OCF a new documentary about the event came out. It’s about an hour long and does a great job of showing off various aspects of the Fair. Enjoy.

About those volunteers, there are thousands of them. That’s something notable about this event that’s different than anything I’ve attended before. The amount of people and people-hours that are poured into this event is quite incredible and makes for a giant family of people who work together to create Fair Magic. Most events have a ratio of volunteers (or paid staff) of about 10 or 20 attendees for every ticketed customer. In the OCF case, it’s much closer to 1 to 3 – a very low ratio (if you know the exact figure on this, please let me know). I volunteered as a musician this year, playing for kids at Sesame Street and Wally’s Way stages.

This episode brought to you by the inexpensive construction headphones I schlep everywhere to help me sleep during loud music and other noise at festivals like this one. And while I’m here, these headphones are part of a 11 life tips series that you can sign up for here. For some great background music while reading this – try out Fair TV – which is streaming the shows from the main stage as I type this – 7.17.25.

So, besides the great food, wonderful music, interesting spoken word, an incredible 1st annual Friday night burlesque show (go in 2026!), and interesting crafts, there are things that are not obvious. Oh yeah, the costumes, people on stilts, marching bands, cute kids, and all sorts of serendipity – there are a few things I want to talk about that are not obvious unless you’ve been coming a while.

Networking.

I am lucky to get to Fair a few days before the official event begins. This meant the Wednesday before Fair for me this year. This led to wandering the 8 and connecting with many craft vendors and other volunteers before the event opens. Some of these relationships have been going on for years. I see you booth L12, Wileyware! As someone who helps small businesses with email marketing, my conversations are sometimes about how to help the crafters market their wares – both at the Fair and beyond.

Wileyware

Wileyware

I got into a conversation with Skeeter, who’s been coming to the Fair since the beginning. He talked to me about the intention of the Fair at the start was for people to come together and network. Figure out how to create a new society together. How to take the ideals that were being discussed in the late 60s and spread them through the community and work, and build together. I’m going to keep learning about this intention (there were newsletters back then, and many elders from the time still carry on this effort today). There’s so much to say about this. And I think this part of the Fair is a little obscured by the pageantry part.

For example, the Fair features 2 big areas devoted to organizations doing interesting environmental activist work that create all sorts of opportunities for education, but also networking. These are Energy Park and Community Village. I think most people and the booths themselves are missing a big opportunity that I hope to elevate here. We tend to approach the booths at Fairs as consumers – these people behind the table or wall have something to offer us. Maybe it’s a blintz or knish. Maybe it’s tie-dyed socks or a beautiful guitar or earrings. But maybe it’s wisdom. Maybe it’s an internship for someone you know. It goes deeper than that. Here’s an example.

While I was sitting in the Ritz** (an incredible collection of saunas and showers – one of the main reasons I go to the Fair, actually), which is also a great place for networking (or catching up with friends, or group singing in the sauna). Anyway, I look up and see the smokestack puffing smoke. The Ritz burns a lot of wood each year at the Fair, and that smoke is spewed into the air and breathed by fairgoers. I’d been thinking, as I’m learning about woodsmoke, how do we electrify the Ritz? The saunas could be running on electricity and sparring fairgoers (and the region) a little bit less woodsmoke in the air. I ended up in a long conversation by someone who’d been on the OCF board in the past and she mentioned Peach Power – an effort to bring more solar panels to Fair. Well, without that conversation I wouldn’t have been able to then have a different conversation with someone from Energy Trust in Energy Park about the same topic.

I work on a few livability issues. Getting Rid of Gas-powered leaf blowers; dark skies Oregon (esp. how to slow the spread of too bring LED lighting); Keeping Trees Standing; and reducing woodsmoke. Mostly, I’m focused on Portland, but everyone could benefit from the work I’m doing.  So, when I’m face to face with someone who is part of an NGO where these issues are related, I see the person on the other side of the table as an ally. This relationship is possible with anyone at any time – but at Fair, things are labeled better 🙂  ie, the booth dedicated to seed swapping in Energy Park is a great place to talk about saving the pollinators. Seeing my longtime kinda guru, Sharanam – we got into a conversation about setting up a show for him in Portland.

Then, there’s lots of sharing back. Letting people in on Fair secrets – or, what I like to call, showing people the door. Not everyone knows that there are a wide variety of ways to participate in the Fair. You can jury in and become a vendor; volunteer to be part of a crew; but it’s also possible to be an SO (significant other/guest of) an elder (that’s how I got my camping pass this year after many years with various booths and crews). This is something that I want to dedicate some time to in the future – figuring out how to get people to Fair who will have a life-changing experience there. People who might not even know the place exists, but who will benefit from being a part of the Fair Family (which is pretty much everyone).

Fair Information

You can get information about the Fair from the Info Booths located around the Fairgrounds (also known as the 8). But there are a ton of other ways – there are a slew of private and public Facebook groups, for instance. For instance, if you’re tired of my spiel and want more pictures, try out the OCF Unofficial group.

And the information is everywhere – from the banter of the performers (which contains many positive messages) to the Peach Pit, which is the printed guide to the Fair – there’s lots to learn about. There’s even a code of conduct! And general guidelines.

I will probably have more to say about the networking topic I started on above.  My learning about how that informed early Fairs, and my own current approach to networking in the small business world, seems to be pushing me into an area I’m not familiar with.  Going to places we’ve never been before!

The hot temps and dust at this year’s Fair were a reminder to me about how fragile our society is. We march our way through, but it’s challenging. I walked around the Fair most of the time with a wet towel on my head that I had to keep wetting. I’m 64, and I noticed aging for myself and others more than in previous fairs. I got lucky and had dinner with a couple of people who’d been to the very first fair and most of them since that time! 52? 53? I saw more alter-abled transport and more strollers this year than in years past.  Watching kids at the Fair is fun – and it’s also fun to see someone in their 80s oohing and ahhhing like they were kids.

I appreciate the deep connections many of you have with each other. I realized this year, more than in previous years, that those who live in Eugene or thereabouts seem a lot more connected than those of us who travel farther to reach the shores of the Long Tom. This year felt more “local” to me. But I also realize that repeat visits and my many loose ties with a wide variety of Fair people do ground me.

Ah, Fair. Thank you. Thank you for connecting me with many of my friends. Thanks for the chance to share time with people who knew my friends who have passed away – Ben Bochner and Amira. Thanks for the chance to gather in a very safe place and find magic. Fair is not perfect, but Fair is Fair!

Until we meet again, Albert Kaufman, 7.17.25

PS – your comments are welcome! I am always open to feedback.

PPS – here’s my write-up from last year, and that links to previous years. I may do a Resource List for this year in a bit. Joining my email list is a great way to hear when I’ve written something new.

PPS – my friend, Bruce Bartlett had this to say about the Ritz (which turns 50 next year):

“I agree that the Ritz is otherworldly in its effect on people. I have been transformed in there several times. Each time (5) a new level of tension has relented, both somatically and psycho emotionally.

Doing something you (almost always) do in private now openly and relaxed is a powerful ritualistic tool that can dissolve shame. When the internal tension, that is so often held excruciatingly tight in a person who is troubled by their body or their beliefs about it, is finally allowed to release itself, the person enters into a free, open communal space with music and laughter in the background in a way that feels almost surreal at first. I recall the first moment my shower turned off so the splash of the spraying water on me ended. I opened my eyes and started taking in the world around me. The relaxation, conviviality, and acceptance I witnessed filled (informed?) a part of me that had always wanted that sensual environment to exist. Warm fires make for warm conversations. The toning in the saunas still echoes in my mind.

We have created a portal into a profound body-positive world. The fair itself is a towering testimony to the glorious beauty of the body, in a kaleidoscopic, wild, outlandish statement of joy. This celebration in the Ritz of our innate beings with our unique bodies manifests the world as it should be.

Deep appreciation for its builders and keepers. May many be blessed in the portal.”

Thank you, festival culture, for making me who I am.

Philly Folk Festival
Burning Man
Oregon Country Fair
Vancouver Folk Festival
Beloved
Mariposa Folk Festival
Hartford Folk Festival
Middletown Folk Festival
Folklife Festival
Garlic Festival
Singing Alive
Cascadia Songrise
String Summit
World Domination Summit (3)
Neurodiversion 2025

I’m probably missing a few 🙂

And to my Mom and Dad, who pushed me in this direction from the very start

Filed Under: OCF Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OCF 2024 – Resources

July 16, 2024 by

Resources: OCF Booths and more

One of the lenses I see the world through is a marketing one. So, part of my life at festivals is seeing what is going on marketing-wise. Sometimes I can be helpful to a vendor or learn something myself. So, in no particular order – here is some of what came out of my bag this morning and the attached memories and stories. If you see any mistakes, please let me know @ albert@albertideation.com! Thanks. I also did a more overview write-up – that’s here.

  1. Vestiks amazing shirts!
  2. Harm Reduction Resources: from 8 til late – Rainbow Connection – Xavanadu – this ties in with the big contingent of healing resources and health education that happens here.
  3. I keep a list of Vendors I email about marketing once or twice a year – if you’d like to be on that list, click here.
  4. Todji Kurtzman – one of the artists this year. He had a piece in Xavanadu – todji.com for more of his incredible work!
  5. Someone from Lost Valley Education Center led a fun workshop on how to throw a block party – including 7 tips to throw an epic block party handout. It included an Icebreaker Bingo card which I used over and over again for the rest of the day.  They are at lostvalley.org – this was in Community Village on Sunday afternoon. Lost Valley is also hosting a Conscious Growth Convergence September 27-29 – looks lovely.  More info at consciousgrowthconvergence.org
  6. A friend mentioned Johnny Franco and Brother Dan – and their serenading of the audience. I didn’t see them, but she sent a video.
  7. Rebecca Bashara – metalsmith/designer – These folks were near my home booth, L12 – had these lovely stones lined up on tables and on a model that changed during the day. Very lovely.
  8. Then there’s the booth where you wish your Mom was there. Wooliza Fiber Arts was that one for me. Incredibly lovely woven pieces. wooliza.com
  9. LyndaFeman Ceramics – I always love to stop by and see what Lynda has going on. She usually has at least one fancy menorah! This year’s was delightful
  10. I’ve been stopping by and saying hi to Astrologer Mark S. McNutt for years. I loved hearing that he’s very full up in his work. It’s great when any solopreneur is so popular they don’t need to do much marketing. astrowizardry.com 
  11. I have a newsletter for friends and family called The Eleven – you can sign up for it here. + Smiles from this year’s event.
  12. Autumn Higgins – Ceramics, Art, Custom Pottery – Someone showed me a coffee mug they’d purchased from Autumn, and then later I happened upon her booth. Beautiful work! autumnhiggins.com
  13. Stage Coach Farm & Forge. I’d never seen this person’s work before. Hefty skillets and cookware. Damn, these things are heavy and will last several lifetimes. I’ve actually never seen anything like it. stagecoachforge.com
  14. One of my favorite parts of the whole time I’m at Fair is finding things that are being done elsewhere (I’m looking mostly at you, Eugene) that we might be able to bring to Portland. bringrecycling.org/classes is in that category.
  15. Raising Resilient Bees – digginlivin.com/book – there were a few bee-related booths – this one from Energy Park. I also purchased some of their propolis. Yum!
  16. Creative Spirit Collaborative – A Eugene-based group.
  17. Rabblebox 3-stringed guitars. Neato!
  18. Got feedback for OCF 2024? Online: https://tinyurl.com/4sjxtrp9 or, by mail: 442 Lawrence Street, Eugene, OR 97402
  19. If you walked the 8 you likely saw Jeff Eichen taking photographs with a tripod. He’s often dressed in green and he’s hard to miss. He’s doing good work to help those who have records due to cannabis use. Check out releaffoundation.org 
  20. How did Jenny Leis’s card get in my collection? Your Enthusiasm is Contagious – says her card. I was actually speaking to someone who I want to connect to her work in facilitation, training, and consulting. And for now: jennyleis.com
  21. Ah, this next one is special. The Eugene Environmental Film Festival! The woman in Community Village who was sharing about this event offered me a t-shirt which I’m wearing proudly. What she is doing is fantastic and I may travel to Eugene for this this fall. This is also where I heard the phrase “platform maker” for the first time. More about that as I learn more.
  22. Another one that my Mom would love. Wood ‘n I Weavings!
  23. Evan Burnette – Local Art Glass – lovely work!
  24. Pure Love Chocolate – This was their first time at the fair and they rocked it.  zero sugar.  yum!
  25. Wileyware, Booth L12 – We had fun and sold many glasses. I added to my collection and saw so many friends and laughed so hard – thank you, Marcia Wiley!
  26. L49 – James Island – Trees of Light Lamps – beautiful.
  27. I spent a lot of time with Joshua Morton. I believe this next picture is of his work. It sounds like he does a lot of good in the world – proceeds from his art – he donates his money from this event to a college scholarship fund for students in his area. Enjoy

Honorable Mentions – areas I visit a lot every year: Energy Park and Community Village – rock on!

Thanks for visiting – stay in touch! Albert

OCF 2014

OCF 2017

OCF 2022 – a very short and different fair

OCF 2023

Filed Under: Oregon Country Fair Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

OCF 2024

July 16, 2024 by

OCF 2024

Hello! Here’s my report about this year’s Oregon Country Fair (OCF). Like life, everyone has a different version of how this event shapes their lives. We all wander about asking each other “Did you see this? Did you eat that? Did you see so and so?” But in the end, you have a map, weather, food, drink, music, theater, crafts, people, costumes, rainbows, and HEAT! This was the hottest OCF I’ve ever attended (15-20 years attending, in a row-ish). Much time was spent grumbling about the heat – and figuring out how to survive and thrive given that condition.

Don’t miss Part 2 – Resources + Booths

If you know nothing about OCF and want a quick video that gives you a magical glimpse, here’s this year’s promo video. For a limited time, they’ll be streaming the main stage acts here.

This Fair is like no other. It’s been going on longer than most and is heavily volunteer-run and organized. It probably has more volunteers than just about any event in the world. Many people involved stay with it for a lifetime. There are many booths (food/crafts) that have been there since the beginning, 55 years ago! People also switch from one crew to the other depending on life circumstances – ex: my partner is on that crew = and I joined that crew. Or, we broke up and I needed a new place to be! I heard a lot of that in one of the many Facebook groups that people gather in to talk about the event. Like this one!

Volunteering is how one earns a pass to be able to stay in the Fair after dark and also usually enables you to camp in or close to the Fair. There are woods and nearby open fields and they are filled with tents, and vans, and RVs. Luckily, after my first visit 20 years ago, I have become “Fair Family” and that gives me this wristband that allows me to go to and fro at all hours. Some people bust their butt all year long and some people do very little for this wristband. But my sense is that it all comes out in the wash. Those who work super hard on this event reap rewards that others can’t dream of. Particularly noticeable is the close community in some of the groups where people put together something magical together while watching their families grow together. Strong bonds are created as well as family and Fair lore!

So, I guess this may be more of an inside baseball reading on the Fair. We on the inside are cautioned to keep our experience on the down-low somewhat. Some of that makes sense, but I’ll try to lean into my own experience – which I think it’s Fair to say is mine to share. If you have feedback for the event, you can leave it here.

So, this year I drove with my housemate to the event on Wednesday and we arrived in the afternoon. Once through Albert’s Circle, we arrived at camp. Our campmates were already somewhat setup and there were a couple pop-ups that made our entry a bit more pleasant. Getting in can sometimes be easy, but sometimes it can be a bear (taking hours to find your name or pay for a parking pass in person). Luckily, this year I was able to pay for my camping and parking pass online – whew! Once I had arrived at camp, I set up my tent, and said my hellos – it was off to the Ritz to luxuriate in the amazing sauna and shower and fire areas.  If you’ve never been to The Ritz it’s really quite something. You pay your money and in you go (please take off your shoes as you enter!)

The Ritz has been there a good long time. When you enter you’ll see an open space with a fire area in front of you; a stage off to the left and in the distance 5 rows of showers (on either side of poles) and then cubbies to put your things. Off to the right at midnight is a giant sauna that can probably hold 70-100 people. The seats are tiered – 4 levels * 4 sets of these. On the edges of the showers are your cold shower – pull on a rope and you are hit hard with cold water! Very cold water! At 2 o’clock from the entrance – more cubbies and a fire area which is cooking just to warm your belly. I’ve never seen anything like it. 3 pm? Another sauna – probably the original – seats about 40 and is round. More cubbies are behind that and then you have more showers and another fire area which also hosts an amazing cobb bench. There’s another of these as you walk in – a great place to sit and relax once you’ve done the sauna/cold water combo a few times. There’s a place to check your valuables (instruments). The stage features acts from the Fair – I’ve played there many times – and it’s so fun to play music for naked people!! Hot showers, saunas, live music, and friends – this place really is my heaven.

Food vendors don’t start selling until at least noon on Thursday so I was on my own till then. Our camp was having a group dinner of jambalaya that night, but I wandered over to visit a friend nearby and he was serving … jambalaya! So, I ate and played music with him and his friends.

 

The only reason I have any pictures at all (if you want to see them all they’re over here) is because of this bench and the others near it (go see the pics!). I never bring my camera/phone to Fair. The last thing I want is to be spending time on my phone (it goes pretty much dark once I have my tent up). But after the Ritz on Thursday morning, I meandered to where these benches sit (not open to the public) and I had a seat. They are brand new, were finished the day before and I think might be made from lumber milled from downed trees on site. OK, one more.

These benches are filled with musicians each night – sometimes until dawn – playing songs for one another and collaborating. It’s a pretty magical place and I usually spend at least a couple of hours there each year, but this year – this was my visit. I sat on the benches and realized – I must show other people the benches and the design – hopefully, places like Breitenbush and elsewhere will create something like this!

The Land

Last year’s storms took a heavy toll on the trees. Many are downed or were removed pre-event. This has also led to piles of wood all over the camping areas. It also led to many booths losing shade this year – making a hot fair even hotter! I hope that the Fair Org is thinking about how to remove these wood piles given we’re now in a wildfire-prone area. I’d suggest sooner rather than later and would be happy to help organize work parties until this is done. Otherwise, we risk losing the forests. Have feedback for the Fair? Here is their feedback form.  The Cascadia Wild/Forest Defense booth had a petition asking the Fair Org. to open the land to indigenous groups who have been gathering here for thousands of years. I signed.

What it’s like to be the Mayor

Being the outgoing person that I am I know a lot of people at this event. I’m sure I’m not the only one. But I am one – I have been called The Mayor (and I usually suggest – there are probably more than one 🙂 – but I am certainly one. This leads to a different type of experience than many people have. I walk a pathway and am often greeted by name frequently. As I get older and everyone else does, too – I am not always able to place the other person, but eventually, we get to where we met and stories unfold.  I spend a lot of time in various booths – playing music and trying the local foods and other offerings. So, this adds up to a lot of connecting and reconnecting every day. I am a humble mayor. I also spend a lot of time interacting with strangers and seeing how things are going with them. I try to leave things much better than I found them 🙂

And back to the Ritz

walking and walking

the dusty paths

saying hello

sharing a kind moment or two

communicating clearly

the truth serum of Fair

One thing that is very clear to me is that at this event people are very real with one another. This often means skipping over the chit-chat and getting right to the meat of things. It might be health-related, or relationship-related – but conversations tend to go deep fast. It’s very refreshing and can lead to deepening relationships, too. There’s also clarity about not over-sharing various logistical things. This is probably an aspect that is more prevalent in the Fair Family world, but it might also be spilling over to everyone – and it’s one more way that life at the Fair is different – and why we cry when it’s over. I saw a lot of crying this year.  People need this type of experience more than ever right now. I heard one child ask: “Why does Fair have to end?” – I’m sure many people would love to have more villaging in their lives.

Heat

It was a scorcher this year – with daytime temps in the high 90s. There were misters; there was encouragement to drink water. Stay hydrated. I’m sure WhiteBird saw its share of heat-related visits. A way I figured out to beat the heat was to have a small towel that I could put around my shoulders (once wet) and even over my head. Whew, without that I don’t know how I would have coped. Also, trying to stay in the shade as much as possible was a strategy. That didn’t work too well when I had to cross town, though.

I like to highlight the craft and other vendors that I meet along the way (plus, the ones I work with!). Here you go,  Part 2!   What’s the story behind these lamps, L48, for instance?

and these glasses – L12 – Wileyware!

My Previous Reviews of OCF

OCF 2014

OCF 2017

OCF 2022 – a very short and different fair

OCF 2023

poem by Sheba Hulsing

Oh Faire how I love thee,
Feet oh so dirty
With a hoarse voice parched
We continued to march
Circuitously we danced
And pranced
Oh so entranced
And romanced
By the beauty of all of you
In your brilliant hues
Tears welled and flowed
At the beauty so bestowed
Each moment a blessing
Especially as we were undressing
To sing oh to sing
Dry cracked voices merging
How our hearts were surging
As we found harmony
As we found harmony
I’m forever changed, each year, again and again. Magic beyond my wildest imaginings and I’m delighted to be so tired and so nourished.
Thank you to the fair family and all the magic that lives in each and every one of you.
Until we dance and play again. I love you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Oregon Country Fair Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oregon Country Fair 2023 in Review

July 12, 2023 by

OCF 2023

It was the best of Fairs it was the worst of Fairs. Every Fair is unique and this one certainly was that, too. Everyone has a different time at this Fair, too. It takes everything you arrive with, magnifies, twists, and takes it all into a kaleidoscope and brings it back to you for your amusement or derangement. It’s good, bad, and ugly! I had a time at the Fair this year. One of my fave fun things to do is to share some of what I learned or who I met at the Fair as a way to stay in touch with them and introduce you to them, so without further ado – and in no particular order – here is some of that! Photos by Mike Meyer! And if you want to see lots more photos and videos – check out the OCF Unofficial Group (I’m an admin on there!). And if you somehow found your way here and would like to get monthly updates from me about the life and times of Albert – Sign up here for The Eleven – my monthly newsletter. OK, now, on with the show!

A card found among the various business cards: “I have come to bring out the beauty you never knew you had and lift you like a prayer to the sky.” – Rumi

Well, it was the 11th – so, the rest of my story came out in newsletter form. – Enjoy! The Eleven, July 2023

OCF 2022 was a very short one for me.

Filed Under: Oregon Country Fair Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Eleven August 2019

August 17, 2019 by

The Eleven is my monthly newsletter for friends and family.

It comes out on the 11th of most months. You can sign up for it, here. Archived past versions of The Eleven, are over here.
Beloved Festival by Carlton Ward
Greetings!
Hello from the Beloved Festival year 12 (photo above by Carlton Ward). I’ve been attending this one every year and it just keeps getting better. On Sunday, the 11th, 2019, it will be a late morning after a very long night for many of the attendees.
Before I start with a review of the last couple of months – please take a moment to donate to Amy McGrath who is running against Republican Senator Mitch McConnell. Donate any amount. You’ll feel better after that.
Well, it’s been quite a full time on my end these past months. The main reason I didn’t send out an 11 for July was that I was busily preparing for the Oregon Country Faire. Here are some highlights from recent travels around the area.
June: Summer Solstice Healing Retreat @ Breitenbush – my 24th year. I started attending this event in 1995 when my friend Shelley G. asked if I wanted to travel from my new home, Seattle, and volunteer for something fun in Oregon. I had no idea how influential this event, Breitenbush, and the family I’ve met there would be in my life. It’s a sweet gathering where we all offer healing workshops for one another and I get to play a ton of music and sing my heart out. This year was, as they say, “the best solstice ever!”. Come join me next year – send a note to be alerted when tickets go on sale (usually in April). It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to visit Breitenbush, too.
June: World Domination Summit: This was my 2nd year attending this incredible conference. My write-up from last year still stands as an accurate reflection of what this is all about – how to live an extraordinary life in a conventional world. But this year I really dove deeper and tried harder to understand what was going on. And, I offered 2 meetups of my own to fellow attendees. Yes, it’s an incredible group of people from all over the world coming together for a week sans cynicism and sarcasm. And, when that happens, and people are there to learn from one another and collaborate on each other’s projects and personal growth – incredible results occur. I’m still in awe of my experience this year and bought a ticket for the final year, 2020. This is probably the most expensive ticket that I bought this year, but the price was worth it for just one day. Join me next year!
July: 2 weeks later I was helping out in the Wileyware booth at the Oregon Country Fair – 50th Anniversary. I finally realized that what I do at OCF is visit friends old and new in a 5-day long conversation-fest. I played music naked at the Ritz on Friday this year, which is certainly fun. And the Wileyware gang is a blast – our annual cocktail party on Thursday night featured many of my favorite musicians – Steve Bennett, Timothy Michael Shaw, and Katie Sontag. Overall, one of my best Faires ever. Then, it was home to rest for a couple of days before the …
Northwest String Summit or, Strummit as it’s known. This was my 4th year attending Strummit and I have to say it was one of the best musical highlights of my life. The quality of the music is very high – it’s mostly jam band/bluegrass – which I love. Think Danny Barnes meets Yonder Mountain String Band meets Dark Star Orchestra meets a bunch of traveling bands that you’ve never heard of who are full of such heart and stories it makes you wanna cry with joy. See below for some links to the Saturday night Yonder Mountain set and music by SideBoob (a collection of all of the women who play the festival who are available to play at the time appointed). Their outfits were incredibly outrageous this year. Strummit has some work to do to improve – some of the same issues I note in my review above from 2018 are still prevalent. I’m particularly concerned about the amount of time bright spotlights are focused directly on the audience and I’m working to try to get this across to whoever is running the mainstage lights. I’m mostly discussing this in the Strummit FB group. Btw, it would be great to have more friends at this event next year. Come dance with me!
August: This past weekend my friends and I played @ Destin and Kellie’s wedding. That was delicious and fun – here’s a picture of me with Mt. Hood behind from Husum, WA!
Albert in Husum 2019
Then, there is the ongoing work with QuietCleanPDX! I’m meeting with a group every other week to push for a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. Check out our Resources page. If you want to stay abreast of what we’re doing click here and that will automatically add you to our email list on that topic.
I’m also still busy trying to protect and increase Portland’s tree canopy. I organized a group to go see Canopy Stories, recently, and that was fun and educational. If that topic interests you, join us in a group on Facebook.
There were also some community-building activities – I instigated a fun 44th Ave. SE block party on 8.2.19. It was the first time some neighbors who’d lived on the block for years had ever met one another. And, the mix of generations was awesome to experience, too. On another day I gave a lesson in “birthday autoresponders” to 2 local 13-year-olds while their parents watched. I’m trying to figure out how to pass along the knowledge I have about social media and email marketing to the next generation – because they are powerful tools if used well. I’m also playing way too much online chess on chess.com. Just one more game…
Like you, I’m pretty upset about the gun violence that’s been happening. It’s the fault of Republicans and especially President Trump – that is where the blame lies – and I hope you’re excited as I am to throw them out of office in 2020. They are also responsible for our inaction on climate change. Until they are gone we can all keep speaking out and working on issues and for candidates who speak the truth and do not support white supremacy. I do have hope – and will continue speaking out.
In the meantime, I think it’s also important to take care of our health – physical and emotional. Do what you have to to get enough rest; drink water, and stay connected with friends and family. We will weather this storm – let’s do it together and laugh, cry and live in the world we want to see – NOW!
Take care and happy Summer.
Albert
PS – Here’s a great set of music by the Yonder Mountain String Band from this year’s Strummit. And Sideboob’s show – all the women who played at Strummit.
PPS – If you like the work I do in the world please take a moment and post a review in one of the spots below. This is something I asked of business connections, but I’d love it if you’d say something you would. Thanks!
Greetings!
If you are willing, I’d love your review on the following platforms. If you have a Constant Contact account a review in the Constant Contact marketplace would be fantastic.
If not, a review on Nextdoor.com, Yelp!, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google , would be welcome – thank you!
I hope you’re having a great Summer.
Sincerely,
Albert Kaufman
PS – if you leave a review in 5 of the 6 places – let me know and you will receive something very fun.

 

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The Eleven – 7.11.17 The Oregon Country Fair (OCF) Revue

July 16, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Greetings!

Happy 11th. I just returned from the Oregon Country Faire (OCF) and I can still feel the dust in and on me. Fairy dust. Dust of connection – dust of love. OCF is one of the most special events I participate in – it’s a chance to watch a group of humans growing; changing; aging; celebrating and coming together as a large village. I see a lot of the same faces year after year and one of my joys is spending the day wandering aimlessly until I meet a friend or make a new one. Here are some highlights from his year:

1. The little girl (3) who decided I was the right person to play a game of “fall into/onto Albert” – and her parents who graciously allowed it to unfold beautifully.

2. Hours spent in the Ritz (pictured below) – a collection of showers, saunas, a glorious fire pit and often live music – the large collection of naked people – singing together in the sauna; wandering the big open area and standing laughing in the sunshine – it’s a highlight of every day at the Fair for me. It’s also the perfect place to share village news.
3. My pals at Camp It doesn’t Matterhorn: a wonderful gaggle who come together each year to help my friend Marcia Wiley build and run a great booth at the Fair: Wileyware, booth L12.
4. Serendipity; amazing food; laughter; staying up late; trying new things; giving and getting lots of touch (this year I brought my massage table – a definite PLUS!); playing music at Otter Camp; dancing to music at nearby late night music happenings; James; fair magic; the guy who approached me with a big hug – mistaking me for someone he thought he knew and then, after some conversation inviting me back to his camp for a cold beer on tap in the middle of the woods; natural bug spray; the amazing crafts at Fair – WOW! – seeing some of my clients ‘ booths and hanging out with them; great food! – quieter music along the pathways; hanging out with friends on the sweep crew; the many ideas that came to me about how to live life fully. Getting to a place of a really quiet mind on Saturday – that was pretty interesting. Here’s a little taste via video…
5. We have a group of teens in our camp from out of town (Seattle). I met another group of Fair kids who knew their way around and sent them as a gift to our booth to take our teens out – that was a fun match-making 🙂 – watching said group walk arm in arm – giggling, back into the Fair about 5 hours after I’d set this match in motion.
It’s important that we have these gatherings and this year’s Fair felt very important for this community. Partially to re-group given the current political climate… It’s a group that comes together to make magic. To teach each other life skills. To pass along the skills that we have around communication; organization; kindness; and long-term relationships – and practice them. And MAKE MISTAKES!
This Fair taught me once again that you just can’t help make mistakes when you are trying new things and pushing past your comfort zone. It’s just about impossible when you’re surrounded by so many people and various depths/types of relationships – not to make mistakes. I think that’s one of the challenges in our society – that’s it’s somewhat easy and safe to stay in one’s cocoon – stay behind the laptop; stay in one’s life and just get by. The Fair invites us to get out of our comfort zones (it’s probably closer to how people who live in villages live) – it presents us with the opportunity to make and test out new connections rapidly. As that’s happening we all get stressed and balls drop and balls are juggled exquisitely, too! This is how we learn. I did my fair share of magic and messes this year and I look forward to coming back next year to do it all again.
I feel so grateful and thankful that the Oregon Country Fair exists. Thank you wise and wonderful Eugenians (mostly) who spend countless hours, blood, sweat, tears, and money to make this available to people. As I heard on the path a number of times – Oregon Country Fair forever!
I received good advice from friends at the Fair to put it out to my community that I am single and seeking a partner. Here’s my OKC profile – if you know someone you think I’d be a fit with, please let me know!
Happy 11th!  Happy Summer!
Love,
Albert
Albert

2023 Write-up.

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