QuickTake:

The best way to experience any event might be through the food and here's whatTaylor Goebel at at her first Oregon Country Fair.

If I could give one piece of advice for enjoying the food at Oregon Country Fair: Don’t be on deadline, and if you are, don’t be without cell service.

I failed at both. Do as I say, not as I do, as the saying goes.

With 85 food vendors at this year’s fair, my indecision paralysis also kicked in. Nevertheless, I had some good bites, got in 13,000 steps and saw some magnificent costumes. Not bad for a whirlwind first fair experience.

Here is my nosh from Friday, July 10:

Raw fruit pie

Price: $9 ($10 for whipped cream)
Place: Patti’s Raw Fruit Pies
Wait time: Less than five minutes
Reporter notes: An excellent excuse to eat pie for breakfast. Choose your own fruit topping. Can taste the nutmeg in the nut and date crust. Banana flavor is strong. Pro tip: If you have the chance, get the last slice in the pan for all the leftover fruit and crust bits.

A raw fruit pie at Patti’s. Credit: Taylor Goebel / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Salmon burger

Price: $14
Place: Chez Ray’s Gritz la Ritz (the big “Salmon Burger” sign)
Wait time: Less than five minutes
Reporter notes: The juiciest salmon burger I’ve ever had. Visible Grill marks. Skip the cheese. Well-seasoned fries.

The Mo! salmon burger patty over seasoned fries at Chez Ray’s Gritz la Ritz. Credit: Taylor Goebel / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Hibiscus ginger sparkling tea

Price: $6
Place: Tea Ticklers
Wait time: No wait
Reporter notes: Zippy, refreshing, not too sweet. Someone asked if they could order one sans tickle, but I didn’t stay long enough to find out.

Hibiscus ginger sparkling tea at Tea Ticklers, Oregon Country Fair, July 10, 2026. Credit: Taylor Goebel / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Veggie and beef momos

Price: $13 for a half order
Place: Mama’s Momos
Wait time: Less than 10 minutes
Reporter notes: Steamed dumplings with generous, well-seasoned fillings, a salad and a dollop of zingy chili tomato chutney. Watch the workers fill and shape your Tibetan dumplings.

Veggie and beef momos at Mama’s Momos. Credit: Taylor Goebel / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Strawberry sorbet

Price: $5
Place: Springfield Creamery
Wait time: Less than five minutes
Reporter notes: Perfect creamy-fruity ratio. Super fresh, super cold. My favorite bite of Oregon Country Fair. Tip: If you order the ice cream chip-wich ($6), give it a minute (or 20) to defrost.

Strawberry sorbet at Springfield Creamery. Credit: Taylor Goebel / Lookout Eugene-Springfield
An ice cream chip-wich at Springfield Creamery. Credit: Taylor Goebel / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Taylor Goebel covers Lane County's food and drink scene. She has nearly a decade of experience in multimedia journalism, having reported across the Mid-Atlantic on dining, food systems, education, healthcare, local elections, labor and business. She was most recently a food reporter in Washington state, where she documented a fourth-generation fishing family, covered a David vs. Goliath conflict between a national coffee chain and a small Turkish cafe, and had many culinary firsts, from ensaymadas and gilgeori (Korean street) toast to morels and black cod.