Salem-News.com Summer articles

Organizers Say This Year`s Oregon State Fair is BIGGER Than Ever

The 2009 Fair will be an 11-day birthday party as Oregon celebrates 150 years of statehood. With 185 acres of fairgrounds, an expected attendance of 385,000, and with over 9,000 things to do, see and taste, that’s a BIG party.

(SALEM, Ore.) - June 4, 2009– Once again, the 2009 Oregon State Fair will be too BIG to miss! On the heels of last year’s Fair – which boasted an attendance of 365,000 people – and with a number of fun new events to celebrate Oregon’s 150th birthday, organizers are expecting a BIGGER turn-out in 2009.

“We can think of no better place to celebrate Oregon than the State Fair, which embodies everything that makes our state so great,” says Connie Bradley, Acting Fair Director.

2008 State Fair A Big Hit For 365,000+

The Oregon State Fair once again became Oregon’s second largest city over the course of its 11-day run with a 2.4% increase over 2007.

(SALEM, Ore.) - More than 365,000 people attended the 2008 Oregon State Fair according to estimates released by organizers, who noted the 2.4 percent increase over 2007’s attendance would have been even larger had there not been two days of "liquid sunshine".

A few raindrops weren't enough to keep most Oregonians away. They say that overall, more people found the fair too big to miss; they came, stayed longer, returned for another day, and attended concerts more than ever before.

Health Officials Advise Oregonians to Avoid Heat-Related Illness

"Extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and both are dangerous" - Mel Kohn, M.D., state epidemiologist

(SALEM, Ore.) - With record-breaking temperatures predicted for the next few days, Oregon health officials are reminding residents to take precautions against getting sick from extreme heat.
Except for a short hot spell in mid-May this is expected to be the first episode of really hot weather this year.

Forecasters predict an abrupt change to higher temperatures after an unseasonably cool spring.