Well folks, we made it through the worst of this week’s heat wave. Fabulous news for those of us (cough, Taylor, cough) who don’t have air conditioning. 

The cooldown also makes for a lovely weekend ahead, as Lane County Fair comes into full swing, which leads us to …

YOUR WEEKEND ITINERARY

The Lane County Fair began Wednesday at Lane Events Center in Eugene and will run through Sunday, giving you plenty of opportunities to hop on some of the fair’s 34 carnival rides and enjoy nostalgic bites. The festival also boasts a bull riding competition, horse show, clown college, concerts, and dinosaur and dragon installations throughout the grounds. You can buy tickets at the gate, at the Lane County Fair Business Office, or online.

Looking to roller skate your Thursday evening away? Eugene Roller Village returns to the Farmers Market Pavilion tonight, from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is $10, and rental skates are $5 to $10.

If you’re not fair’ed out — or are looking for something different — the Blackberry Jam Festival returns to Lowell for its 31st year. The main festivities, including an annual parade and car jam (get it?), occur Saturday but the festival runs all weekend. You’ll also enjoy a horseshoe tournament, craft and food vendors, live music and a greased pole climbing competition (the Philly girl in Taylor is particularly fond of this one). Head to the festival website to learn more.

Neither of us are huge Zach Bryan people, but we won’t yuck your yum. Tickets are still available to see the country star at 7 p.m. Saturday at Autzen Stadium, starting at $98.

What about a day’s workshop where you’ll be able to embrace your inner clown and unpack some of the rigidity we carry around in our daily lives? There are just two spots left, but I cannot recommend Nicole Medema’s clown workshop enough. There’s a one-day drop in session from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Sunday, July 26, if you’re interested. It’s $90 to $120, but it’s worth it.

You’ll end your weekend at Symphony in the Park, the Eugene Symphony’s annual free concert for the public at the Cuthbert Amphitheater. The show starts at 8 p.m. Sunday. There will be symphony classics, music from cinematic favorites and the “instrument petting zoo” for children to interact with the symphony instruments. It’s free, but tickets are required.

one thing we loved this week

I stopped in at Books With Pictures Eugene to talk with the team after the news that they were one of five finalists worldwide for the top prize in the comics industry, a huge recognition on its own, even before owner Andréa Gilroy finds out if they won tomorrow at San Diego Comic-Con. 

I really loved these notebooks, which are Eugene-themed (there are also general Oregon ones) and made by hand using recycled comic book pages, and particularly the snippet of superheroes running used for a “TrackTown” themed notebook.

How perfect!

–Annie

in case you missed it — food and arts news

  • It’s the Lane County Fair this week! From buying tickets to planning out your fair itinerary, here’s what to know before you go.
  • Want to know more about that Books With Pictures Eugene finalist nod? You can read more about it at our interview with members of the team. 
  • As of June, Poppi’s former location in downtown Eugene is now home to a cafe and bakery that uses local flour, local produce and other ingredients that celebrate Willamette Valley farmers and makers to create their made-from-scratch fare. We’ve got all the deets on Moss Culinary Studio. 
  • This is going to be some inside baseball, but bear with us for a brief “Project Runway” update. Remember Bi Pham, the contestant on the show this season who’s a graduate of Sheldon High School in Eugene? Annie interviewed him before the season started on July 9. Well, the most recent episode ended with a cliffhanger: a suite of designers, including Pham, are up for elimination and can only be saved if 12 other designers vote to keep them in the competition. (OK, it’s gimmicky, but whatever.) You’ll need to watch the newest episode, which airs tonight and streams the next day, to see if he makes it through to the next week.

Question for you

Although Oregon hasn’t detected an “unusual” uptick in cyclosporiasis cases — nor have any been linked to the multistate outbreak — we remain wary of bagged salads. We’re also reflecting on where we buy our food, amid not only food safety concerns but also farmworker protections and the importance of local food systems. We’re curious: Has the outbreak made you change your grocery shopping habits? Are you buying from local farms more? Are you avoiding certain produce, brands or grocery stores?

Drop us a line at taylor@lookoutlocal.com and annie@lookoutlocal.com. 

And thanks to our readers for sharing their sick day meals! We received a few hot tips, including Barry’s lemon chicken and rice soup (our reader also recommended you bring a reusable quart jar) and the ginger hot pot from Tasty Thai Kitchen. 

BEFORE YOU GO …

Taylor here. By the time you read this, I might be inside the air-conditioned events center, recovering from all the fried foods I consumed to answer the question, “Will it fry?” (more on that soon). 

Happy county fair and happy weekend, everyone!

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Annie Aguiar is the Arts and Culture Correspondent. She has reported arts news and features for national and local newsrooms, including at the Seattle Times, the Washington Post and most recently as a reporting fellow for the New York Times’ Culture desk covering arts and entertainment.

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.