Tucked away in the northeast corner of the Oregon State Fairgrounds is the Beef Barn.
Here, during the state fair, cattle will be judged on muscle volume and shape, breed character and attractiveness.
It’s one of many judging events for animals that fairgoers can sometimes overlook.
Darrell Hansen, open beef superintendent at the fair, compared the beef to a typical dog show, but with 9- or 10-year-olds walking around with half-ton animals.
Like show dogs, show cattle “will become productive animals when their show career is over,” Hansen said in an email. “These are SHOW animals.”
Starting Friday, Aug. 23, cattle and other animals will spend 11 days strolling and racing on the fairgrounds at 2330 17th Ave. N.E.
Drew Marine, a fair spokesperson, said in an email that they’re expecting around 400,000 people over the course of the Oregon State Fair.
The usual fair features like carnival rides and food vendors return along with new attractions.
The fair will have nine new carnival rides, including kid-friendly Harley bikes and dune buggies.
One new event is the Amazing Drone Shows. Each night of the fair, 300 drones will perform a 15-minute “dance” tailored to the fair and local community, Marine said in an email. The show will take place every day at 10 p.m.
Another new family-friendly attraction is the Bounce N’ Battle Fun Zone, which will be in The Playground area of the fairgrounds. The attraction will have bounce houses, inflatable slides and inflatable axe-throwing. Fun zone tickets are available online ahead of the fair for $17, or in person for $22 on weekdays and $25 on weekends.
The fair’s musical lineup features eight country, blues, reggae and rap artists, including Foreigner and Ludacris. Descriptions of each artist and ticket information can be found in a previous Salem Reporter article.
There will be 600 commercial exhibitors, featuring businesses and organizations from the area.
The fair will have 60 vendors and a variety of food options, including burgers, tacos, ice cream and beverages. A list of all food vendors and their location is available on an online map.
Pre-sale tickets are still available online, and once the fair starts ticket prices will be $12 for adults, $3 for seniors and $10 for children 12 and under. Children 5 years old and under get in for free.
General parking is $5. The state fair offers a $20 “Rockstar” parking lot on Northeast 17th Street, right across from Columbia Hall. Information and tickets for Parky Like a Rockstar are available online.
Earlier this month, Salem Reporter published a guide on how to save during the Oregon State Fair, listing the available discounts and ways to limit costs.
Starting on Friday, Aug. 23, there will be a speed reduction to 20 mph on Northeast Silverton Road between Lana Ave and Portland Road.
These streets will be closed starting on Aug. 23:
- Northeast 17th Street from Sunnyview Road to Silverton Road
- Northeast Sunnyview Road from Northeast 16th Street to Northeast Evergreen Ave
- Northeast Woodrow Street at Northeast 16th Street
Both Sunnyview Road and Woodrow Street will be controlled by fair staff.
Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].
A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE.
Madeleine Moore is working as a reporter at Salem Reporter through the University of Oregon’s Charles Snowden internship program. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
