INCLUDES ‘FUN AT THE FAIR’ VIDEO |Take a look, and you’ll see why so many outer East Portland families spent part of their Memorial Day Weekend at historic Oaks Amusement Park, visiting the Multnomah County Fair …
Oaks Amusement Park is alive with activity as the 118th Multnomah County Fair is underway.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It was wonderful to witness the success of the 118th Multnomah County Fair, held on the Memorial Day weekend, May 25, 26, and 27, at historic and non-profit Oaks Amusement Park.
Here are our video highlights of our Multnomah County Fair:
This year’s Fair featured more live, multicultural stage entertainment performances than ever, Free Loteria (bingo) games, Wiener Dog Races, hip-hop dancers – and, for the first time ever, Portland Lucha Libre professional wrestling.
Professional wrestlers with Portland Lucha Libre thrill the crowd with their high-flying stunts and antics.
Showing this award-winning cake – it won the Marvelle Kop Award for prettiest decorated cake – is Creative Living Exhibition Food Superintendent Kimberly Walters.
All six departments in the Creative Living Exhibition are at capacity this year.
Guests shopped local craft vendors, and also at the art displays, and the gardening, and craft exhibits, in the at-capacity Creative Living Exhibition.
“Each of the six Creative Living Exhibition departments saw a large increase in entries over last year, and were completely filled – featuring more than 30 first-time exhibitors, among the 1,500 entries,” pointed out Board President Larry Smith of the Friends of Multnomah County Fair – the nonprofit organization that’s kept the fair going all these years, without any financial support of Multnomah County itself.
About to go on stage, here are dancers from Los Tata Keris de Michoacan.
The Portland Aztec dance troupe Ollin Yollitzly gets members of the audience up and dancing with them.
“I took the time to enjoy each and every one of the culturally-diverse entertainment offerings, and they were all great,” said Smith. “I especially enjoyed La Familia Day, with Latino-based performances. I also heard a lot of positive comments from the guests about the entertainment, food offerings, Creative Living Exhibition, and the small animal farm exhibit.”
This chef with Lupita’s Kitchen is preparing a batch of tasty chicken for hungry fairgoers.
Look at those puppies run, in the Wiener Dog Races!
Showing off their robot from the Cleveland High School robotics club Pigmice, are Alex Vennebush, Elijah Vennebush, and Nathan Julian.
Smith credited Armando Gonzales of Mando’s Mundo Entertainment — the new Fair Manager, selected by the Board of Directors this year. “He and his team did a great job in coordinating the vendors, entertainment, and promoting the Fair.”
It’s Aubree Rodden, showing off her Havana Mix bunny.
There’s always lots of family fun and excitement along the Oaks Amusement Park midway.
“And, we were delighted that Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran came back again this year to give opening remarks, kicking off the County Fair,” commended Smith. “Our volunteers worked seamlessly as a team, putting on a high-quality three-day Fair for a total of about $65,000. Contrast that to the more than $400,000 that Multnomah County spent each year, up until they stopped funding their Fair in the 1990s.”
Thousands of visitors
It was difficult to get an exact count of the Fair attendees, because Oaks Park offers free admission, and it doesn’t have turnstiles. However, Oaks Park Association Marketing & Events Director Emily MacKay told East Portland News that their data-based metrics showed that at least 14,500 visitors were in the park during the three-day holiday weekend.
All this – plus the rides, games and food along the Oaks Amusement Park midway made for fun days for the thousands of folks who came and enjoyed time at the Multnomah County Fair.
© 2024 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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