Roger Williams holds up a hand-carved horn at the Oregon State Fair. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) On an overcast Wednesday morning, Roger Williams scrutinized multimedia creations in Columbia Hall at the Oregon State Fair. He spent about an hour looking at items like a miniature trailer with hand-sewn pillows or a[Read More…]

Carnival rides! Rodeos! Demolition derbies! Visitors to the Oregon State Fairgrounds will find all that and more. The Oregon State Fair kicks off this Friday and runs until Labor Day. Every day provides something new for visitors, below is a list of highlights this weekend. Friday at the fair Country[Read More…]

Chad Johnson is one of the performers at Saturday’s event. (Courtesy/ Chad Johnson) Clifford Eiffler had been enjoying the local comedy scene from afar for a year before he decided to bring the laughs to his own backyard. Literally. On Saturday, he’s hosting a comedy show behind his northeast Salem[Read More…]

Thursday The Salem Library is hosting an end of summer reading party on Thursday for kids who have completed at least 10 hours of reading. The afternoon will be filled with games, food and guest appearances from Caesar The No Drama Llama and Los Colores de America Latino music group.[Read More…]

Jona Laks will speak at Willamette University Monday night. (courtesy) A Holocaust survivor will tell her story of surviving human experimentation in Auschwitz during a talk at Willamette University Monday night. Jona Laks will discuss how notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele experimented on her and her twin sister, Miriam. The[Read More…]

The Englewood Forest Festival takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Courtesy/Englewood Forest Festival) A small neighborhood park in Northeast Salem has turned to a festival in attempt to combat the stereotype that it’s a blight on the city.  “It’s notorious for being looked down on,” Organizer[Read More…]

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. and a dance party in the alley behind 1859 Cider Co. 249 Liberty[Read More…]

Salem’s downtown alleys will get monikers during naming process. (Anna Smith/Salem Reporter) Salem’s downtown alleyways are transformed every first Wednesday of the month, and visitors to tonight’s event will have a chance to help leave a lasting mark on the area. Voting opens for six historic alley names today. The[Read More…]

Poison Waters is performing at Saturday’s Pride in the Park event. (Courtesy/ Poison Waters) When Paul McKean moved to Salem, he said he and his partner knew they wanted to get more involved in the LGBTQ community. They decided to jump head-first into helping organize Salem Pride in the Park.[Read More…]

Saturday Hoopla, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, hits the streets surrounding the Capitol on Thursday. The annual event is a tradition for many and is believed to be the second largest of its kind in the United States. Tournament Director Jason Unruh said 1,000 teams will participate in this year’s event.[Read More…]