A crash on Saturday afternoon has closed all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 south of Salem near the Kuebler Boulevard interchange, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

ODOT reported the crash at milepost 251 just after 2:30 p.m.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

ODOT said drivers should expect extended delays or find an alternate route.

This story will be updated.

The 55th annual Oregon Country Fair kicks off July 12 and tickets are already selling quickly.

The fair is touted as a celebration of art, music, earth and family where attendees are encouraged to dress with flair and let their inner child romp with glee as they wander through a fairy-like village in the forest near Veneta, about 15 miles west of Eugene.

In preparation for this year’s Mainstage lineup, officials with the OCF Administration created a playlist on Spotify titled “Official OCF 2024 Playlist.” Artists and bands include Dadweed, Haley Johnsen, Reggie Watts, Everyone Orchestra, Fruition, Robin Jackson and the Caravan, Rett Madison, Jackie Venson, TBA, Ghost-Note, Steve Poltz, Greaterkind with Lo Steele, Tolliver, Glitterfox!, and The California Honeydrops.

General information

The 55th Annual Oregon Country Fair is scheduled for July 12-14, operating 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. About 45,000 people attend the three-day event.

Tickets are sold through aftontickets.com.

Tickets can also be purchased at the Oregon Country Fair Administration building at 442 Lawrence St. in Eugene on Mondays or Tuesdays from noon to 4 p.m. until Tuesday.

General admission tickets for the fair went on sale last week for $60 each. Early bird tickets and three-day tickets for the Fair are sold out.

Children 12 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Seniors 65 and older can receive a $5 discount.

Vendors

Hundreds of artisan booths will be on-site, boasting hand-made goods like accessories, jewelry, body care, candles, ceramics and pottery, clothing and hats, rocks and crystals, woodworking, painting, instruments, leatherwork and more. Services include massages, energy work and tarot card readings.

Dozens of food booths and carts will also be available at the Fair, including the likes of drink stations for smoothies and orange juice, Cajun cuisine, hamburgers, Philly cheese steaks, pizza and calzones, falafel, empanadas, dumplings, tamales, pie, tofu, candy and more.

ODF has posted a full list of its food and vendors on its website.

Events and activities

The Oregon Country Fair has at least 17 stages this year.

A variety of musicians will take to the mainstage from rock and roll bands to solo acoustic artists. Other events range from spoken word to belly dancing to Vaudeville to gardening, arts and crafts, and more.

There are many parades throughout the day. For attendees who want to join a parade, they can visit the Dragon Lair in Chela Mela Meadow to meet Peachi the Dragon before she marches through the fairgrounds with her drummers starting at 11 a.m.

Family-friendly entertainment

Oregon Country Fair prides itself on its kid-friendly atmosphere and activities. On the Youth Stage, families can watch puppet shows, musical performances, jugglers and acrobats.

Families with children can visit Wally’s Way, a semi-supervised kid-friendly area with a playground, climbing structure, free library, and plenty of shade.

Resting areas for families will also be available at Mellow Space and Groover’s Grove featuring diaper-changing areas and shady seating to rest and let children explore various sensory activities in a safe and fairly confined area.

Transportation and Camping

Parking at the Fair costs $15 per day, per vehicle. Parking can be purchased when buying tickets through Afton Tickets or upon arrival at the fair. Carpooling is encouraged.

A free shuttle bus service from Eugene to the Oregon Country Fairgrounds will be available for visitors all weekend starting at 10 a.m. at the Lane Transit District Station at 10th Ave. and Willamette Street and at the Valley River Center northwest parking lot next to the bike bridge. The last bus leaves the fair site at 7:30 p.m.

Another shuttle service will operate Friday and Saturday between Veneta and the Fairgrounds. Visitors can find the shuttle service in Veneta at Carson Card Lock located at 25095 Jeans Road. The shuttles will depart from Carson Card Lock at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. Return trips leave the Fair at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.

There is no camping at the fair site but there are options nearby.

Neighboring campsites include Zumwalt Campground, Carefree Campground, Darling Reunion Campground, GnomeWood Camp, EZ Camp, Sol Creek Farms, and The Other Side.

What to pack for a day at the Fair

According to the Oregon Country Fair Administration, packing the following items will make your fair experience more enjoyable:

• A refillable, non-glass water bottle
• Backpacks, purses, and fanny packs do not have to be clear.
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen and an umbrella
• Comfortable shoes
• Hand Sanitizer
• Face Mask
• A fun costume

Visit the OCF website at oregoncountryfair.org for more information.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@registerguard.com

The Oregon Ducks ended up leaving the Pac-12, placing the Oregon football program in a different conference than the Oregon State Beavers, but the 2024 Oregon football schedule wouldn’t be complete without having the two teams meet up. So, thankfully, the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers will meet up in the third game of the 2024 Oregon football season.

Just as the first two games on the Ducks’ 2024 schedule will be in Autzen Stadium, Oregon will face off against the Oregon State Beavers in what will be the Ducks’ first road game of the 2024 Oregon football season.

It’ll also be the first matchup in this rivalry since Oregon made the decision to ditch the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten. Given how Oregon State was impacted, the home crowd at Reser Stadium in Corvallis will be, uh, less than enthusiastic to welcome the Ducks to town.

The Beavers are facing a bit of uncertainty about the future of their program. With the dissolving of the Pac-12 and no clear path to another power conference (the Big Ten has quite a few teams, the SEC isn’t on the West Coast, the ACC already has a few West Coast teams, and the Big 12 is chaos), who knows what’s up ahead for the Oregon State football program.

But, even though there’s some uncertainty in Corvallis, at least we get the preservation of this long standing rivalry matchup.

The Beavers have provided a tough test for the Oregon football team over the past few seasons. That said, this particular in-state rivalry matchup probably won’t be as closely contested as some of the recent editions have been. 

Positioned early in the 2024 Oregon football schedule, this game should serve as yet another solid non-conference test for Dan Lanning and his Ducks. Without Jonathan Smith in Corvallis though, it seems plausible that Oregon State will take a bit of a step back this season. 

And with the roster that Lanning has assembled, even if there is a hostile crowd and an eager Beavers team, this should be a solid victory for the Ducks. 

But all that said, as the Ducks navigate their into a new conference with an intriguing 2024 schedule, which includes games against longstanding Big Ten powerhouses such as the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and the Wisconsin Badgers, it’s kinda nice to face off against a familiar face. The Oregon State game serves as a familiar reminder of Oregon football’s history ahead of this new era for the Ducks.