Urban Culture: The Salem Art Fair

One July weekend every year, Salem hosts the annual Art Fair in Bush Pasture Park. If my memory as a long time Salem dweller serves me correctly, the Art Fair has evolved over the years. The basics are still the same:  artists of all different mediums come and set up shop to display and sell their unique works, and a special kids' area lets the younger generation try their hand at some artsy endeavors. Things that have changed over time though include the admission price, which is only $5 now but used to be free or by donation back in the day, the fact that the kids have to buy pretty spendy tickets to partake in the children's activities (didn't that used to be free to??), and the extensive music stage which I don't think has always been around, but has definitely grown over time. The Art Fair is a common annual tradition for Salemites and gives us all a way to feel a little bit cultured.  It's fun to wander around and observe the art and even talk to the artists about their methods if you'd like.

 I'm normally one of those people who likes to keep this Salem tradition alive, so Saturday afternoon found me setting off for the Art Fair. Bush Park isn't technically in downtown, but it's within walking distance of my apartment (about a mile), so it fit my guidelines for being an urban activity.

Before I set off, I walked across the street to The Beanery to caffeinate myself. While their coffee isn't my favorite (it's a step below Ike Box, so it's pretty much middle of the road coffee), I do like the ambiance of the place. It's pretty bright and has booths and tables, and it's appealing if you have something you want to go to coffee shop to work on.  They also have a pretty wide variety of food options, though I can't partake in most of them since most aren't gluten free.  I grabbed a 16 oz iced latte (I'm always slightly annoyed that they don't offer a 12 oz since that's my opinion of the best coffee to milk ratio) and soon was off on my walk.

Part of the fun of walking places around Salem is the fact that it isn't a total concrete jungle and there is still nature to commune with. I found some nice blueish purple flowers to observe on my way.

When I got to the park, I first met up with my friend and his two kids. We took a minute to appreciate the park's famous "watch out for attack owls" sign. Yes, there really is an attack owl in the park. (A local brewery even has an Attack Owl IPA because of it.)

Then we meandered our way through the vendors and one of the food areas (stopping at a few of each), then ended up in kid central where there was a bouncy house, children dance performances, and a variety of craft projects to try out. My favorite art option they had was spin painting. It looked fun!

After another friend joined us, we made another food court stop at the one we hadn't checked out yet. They opted for a burrito and beignets I got some Kettle Chips, which, fun fact, are made right here in Salem, Oregon!

Then we met up with yet another friend and set off to look at each of the artist's booths. There were painters, photographers, glass blowers, wood workers, potters, pastel drawers, even shoe and bag makers, and a lot of others that I'm probably forgetting.  I like wandering through all the booths systematically to make sure I see them all.

I was happy when I ran across an artist whose work I had seen last year which seemed perfect for my urban downtown apartment. I had decided not to buy the piece last year, but had thought about it for a year and was now ready to buy.

I love this piece for a few reasons.  First, it's super Oregonian.  Oregon is all about being green and using a bike, and it has Portland's St. John's bridge in the background.  Second, I like the different layers of it and how it builds on each other.  Third, it seems urban :).  I talked to the artist briefly and she told me that the map she used on the glass is an old (I think she said 1930s) map of Portland.  That makes it even more cool in my eyes.  I was really happy to bring this guy home.  I still need to hang him up though.

After seeing all the vendors, we headed out and I started on my walk home. I went a somewhat different way home (at least for one street) and was rewarded by getting to see some pretty urban flowers.

It was a fun and cultured way to spend an afternoon in Salem. It's open till 5:00 tonight (Sunday) so there's still time to join in the fun! As an added bonus, admission is free on Sunday from 3-5pm!