Oregon Country Fair photos — the ’60s live on

Hines Brian July 10, 20091

Today Laurel and I headed to Veneta for a marvelous counterculture celebration, the 2009 Oregon Country Fair.

I wished we had an old VW bus to drive there, but had to settle for our Hybrid Highlander (less cool, but not nearly so prone to break down).

We hadn't been to the Fair for about fourteen years. It was good to see that the '60's flower power hippie ambience hadn't changed.

Except the original flower children, like us, had aged. But as some of my photos show, we're still youthful at heart.

Walking to the fair entrance, we encountered some philosophy: "The material world is but an illusion." Yeah, but we still had to buy $18 advance tickets to get in.

I'd intended to get to the fair in time to enjoy some belly dancing. Leaving late from Salem, we only were able to see a few minutes. Next year, more!

Laurel was wearing blue feather earrings she'd bought at the fair many years ago. Probably from this very booth.

Now she has a feather to match the earrings.

Many fair goers favor the wild and crazy look.

Others, a cool and sophisticated appearance.

When we got to the Main Stage, some classic rock was playing. And these ladies were groovin' to it. I went to free concerts in Golden Gate Park back in the good old '60s days. Today I had some flashbacks.

Now, though, the tie dye was worn under gray-haired heads.

I thought, "Man, it would have been something to encounter this sight back in my LSD-taking days."

Highly creative artistry abounds throughout the fair grounds.

Along with apt banner sayings.

Quirky parades snake through the winding fair paths.

The parades, like almost everything else, are wonderfully colorful.

Including Laurel browsing a booth.

There's loads of attractive semi-nudity at the Oregon Country Fair. This couple simply was semi-nude.

By comparison, some of the dancers at a drumming circle were considerably more shapely.

There didn't seem to be as many topless women as there were fifteen years ago. Or maybe I'm just getting to be such an old geezer, I didn't notice them so avidly as I did before. This was one of only a few photo opportunities.