A trolley at Powerland Heritage Park. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Wednesday Need something fixed? Head over to the Pringle Creek Park Community Hall from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for help repairing items like tools, knives, computers, jewelry and bikes. 606 Church St. S.E. More info can be found on the[Read More…]

The Oregon State Fair saw revenue gains this year despite a slight decrease in attendance. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) It was a good year for the Oregon State Fair. The event, which hits Salem for more than a week at the end of August, saw gains in several areas. Revenues increased[Read More…]

Friday Hear all about wildfires as speakers Jeffrey D. Johnson, CEO Western Fire Chiefs Association and Tom Fields, a fire prevention coordinator for the Oregon Department of Forestry, discuss the changing nature of fires, the causes and consequences, fire prevention and protection of both public and private lands. The program[Read More…]

A new program at the Willamette Valley Humane Society will allow kids aged 5- 11 to read to the shelter residents. (Courtesy/Willamette Valley Humane Society) Soon, the dogs and cats awaiting a forever home at the Willamette Humane Society will have fledgling storytellers to keep them company. Picture a pajama-clad[Read More…]

The Capitol City Cornhole Classic is this Saturday. (courtesy/ Shangri-La) Wednesday It’s the first Wednesday of the month and Salem’s downtown alleys will be filled with live music, art vendors and food trucks from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There’s yoga in Riverfront Park at 6 p.m. More info about the event[Read More…]

There were multiple tents selling hot tubs at the Oregon State Fair. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) There’s an old saying about a person who’s such a good salesperson, they could sell ice to Antarctica. But what about selling a hot tub on a 96-degree day? At the Oregon State Fair, past[Read More…]

Saturday Get a taste of island life this Saturday when Paradise of Samoa hosts a luau at the Keizer Rotary Amphitheater. The show starts at 5:30 p.m. and includes a feast of BBQ Polynesian Style Chicken, Roasted Kalua Pork, Samoan Chop Suey, Macaroni Salad, Steamed Rice, Asian Style Vegetarian Dish,[Read More…]

Reporter Saphara Harrell competed in the Hot Mama Salsa hot wing contest at the Oregon State Fair Friday. Lollipops are used to counteract the heat from the peppers. (courtesy/Aaron Bree) Friday marked my first-ever hot wing eating contest, but it’s far from the first time I’ve tried the spicy stuff.[Read More…]

12-week-old piglets flew down the race track at the fair. (Anna CK Smith/ Special to the Salem Reporter) The fair is in town and brings more than a week on nonstop activities to Salem. There are carnival rides, pig races and nightly music performances. There’s still plenty of time to[Read More…]

Several rides at the Oregon State Fair in the early 1900s. 0082.002.0022.051 (Courtesy/ Willamette Heritage Center) The Oregon State Fair is a time-honored tradition that boasts carnival rides and blue ribbons. The fair has been taking place at its current location since 1862, the year after the Oregon State Agricultural[Read More…]