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Oregon State Fair 2021 – Fiber Arts Competitions
A message from your WeGO Representative
Here is an update to the material on the State Fair provided in the summer newsletter earlier this month. As already stated, the fair will open on Friday, August 27, and run through Labor Day, Monday, September 6. It will feature the usual textiles competitions (Fiber Arts [used to be Felting, Spinning and Weaving], Needlework and Clothing and Quilting) though on a bit more limited basis. Competition classes have been simplified.
The Fiber Arts Exhibitor’s Handbook is now available and included here as an attachment. It is also available online at https://oregonstatefair.org/competitions/creative-living/textiles/ Please read it carefully and enter accordingly as there are some changes, but note that these changes aren’t necessarily permanent.
On-line registration is now open in ShoWorks. Instructions on are page two of the Handbook. The deadline for on-line entry is 10 p.m. on Wednesday, August 18. Entries will be accepted at the fairgrounds in Salem on Friday, August 20, from 12 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, August 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mailed entries must get there by that Saturday. Returns will be Tuesday and Wednesday, September 7 and 8, at the Fairgrounds.
During the fair, we will have a Fiber Arts demonstration area for spinners, weavers and others who wish to show off their creative skills. All weavers and spinners are welcome. We will have chairs for spinners and a couple of looms for weavers to work on (or you can bring your own project). Just let Carrie Rohn (carrie.rohn@gmail.com) know when you would like to come. Demonstrators get free entrance to the fair and free parking. As far as Covid restrictions go, the fair plans to follow the governor’s guidelines. The demo area will be cordoned off to provide space between the demonstrators and visitors.
There will be no fair-sponsored remote pickup sites this year. The only remote pickup site will be Eugene Textile Center and the deadline there is Thursday, August 19. For out-of-towners, Weaving Guilds of Oregon (WeGO) will pay postage or shipping costs to mail/ship guild boxes to the Fairgrounds and return. The simplest way is to buy a return label at the beginning and enclose it in the box. Send the receipts to Annali Cross (rockytopweaver@gmail.com) for reimbursement. Ship/mail it/them to the Fairgrounds, 2330 17 th St. NW, Salem 97304. If there are enough entries, we will arrange for delivery to Salem. Please let me know if you have an entry by Thursday, August 12 so we know that we have enough entries to deliver as a group and we can work out details of how best to arrange for pickup and return of entries.
Winning entries will receive the usual red, white and blue ribbons. In addition, the Best of Division in Felting, Handspun Yarn, Handspun Yarn Articles and Handwoven Articles and the Best Beginner will receive gift certificates provided by WeGo and the Eugene Textile Center. The Aurora Colony Handspinners’ Guild will award cash prizes to the best in the spinning divisions. These is a separate competition for Oregon-themed entries – projects that highlight a physical aspect of Oregon or promote an export or commodity.
During the fair, there will be no Quilt Walk, no culinary demos, no Jerry Frank chocolate cake competition, no best-of-the-county judging and no hands-on, make-and-take activities. There will be concerts in the amphitheater and display cases loaded with the competition entries. And ribbons and prizes.
We realize this is much later than usual, but we hope members will be encouraged to enter their best in the fair. Our display cases are always a special attractions for fairgoers and we don’t want to disappoint them this year!
Please let me know if you have any questions or wish to arrange for group delivery of your entrie(s), Sue Walsh, PHG WeGO Rep, 503-887-2139, or email sugar2311@comcast.net.