If the rain Thursday didn’t tell you, summer is coming to a close. Labor Day on Monday means a three-day weekend for many, and Salem kids will be back in school next week.
But even with summer events winding down, there’s still plenty to take in, including the final days of the Oregon State Fair. Here’s your guide to weekend events for Friday, Sept. 1 through Monday, Sept. 4.
Monster trucks and demolition derby
The Oregon State Fair wraps up Monday, Sept. 4, with several concerts and special events planned for the weekend.
Fairgoers can watch two days of monster truck action on Saturday, Sept. 2, and Sunday, Sept. 3.
Trucks including “Enforcer,” “Maniac” and “The Zombie Tracker Monster Ride Truck” will perform stunts for the crowd.
Monday’s show is a small car demolition derby, with cars and drivers a little on the rough side, according to the fair website.
All shows start at 2 p.m. at the pavilion. Guaranteed admission and early seating is available with a $10 fast pass that can be purchased online in advance, which allows access to the pavilion an hour before the event.
Concerts on tap this weekend are X Ambassadors Friday, Sept. 1; Elle King Saturday, Sept. 2; and Chris Janson Monday, Sept. 4.
The fair, located at 2330 17th St. N.E., is open daily from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. weeknights and 11 p.m. weekends.
See a full preview of the fair below. Learn more and buy advance admission and concert tickets on the fair website.
Find a bird at Northgate Park
September is the final month of a Salem Seekers project hiding small glass birds in Salem parks for people to find and keep.
This month, birds will be hidden at Northgate Park, 3575 Fairhaven Ave. N.E. Organizers will distribute about 30 birds in the park randomly during the month. Read more about the project below.
Celebrate Labor Day
Local chapters of the AFL-CIO and Oregon AFSCME are holding a Labor Day picnic Monday, Sept. 4, including a free lunch, lawn games and union speakers.
The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Ken Allen AFSCME Labor Center, 1400 Tandem Ave N.E.
People are asked to RSVP in advance using the form here.
Get on skates
Travelin Wheelz returns after a summer break with a pop-up roller rink Saturday, Sept. 2. Admission is $10 and the theme is “Welcome Back, Rockstars.”
Sessions run from 4-6:30 p.m. or 7:30-10 p.m. at the Madhouse, 1335 Madison St. N.E. Skate rentals are available for $5. Learn more on Facebook.
See a show
The Pentacle Theatre production, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” adapted from the book of the same name, finishes its run this weekend.Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Pentacle Theatre is located at 324 52nd Ave. N.W. Tickets range from $17 to $37, and are available online, by calling 503-485-4300 or at the box office starting 45 minutes before the show. Frontline healthcare workers, students and Oregon Trail Card holders can get half priced tickets by providing information at checkout.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
