What's New in ‘23
More Room = More Fun
We have an exciting new footprint! Artist booths, the main stage, and food courts can all be found in the meadow, along High Street.
This layout is bigger and better than ever! It’ll be easier to catch a show during the day with the new stage location–and you’ll be closer to the food and beverage courts. We’re confident that everyone will have a great time!
How these changes impact exhibiting artists at the Art Fair
We’ve had to move the artists booths and stage from their traditional locations in the trees to the meadow area of the park. We also have to limit vehicle traffic to the paved areas in order to avoid further compacting the soil in the park—beyond what the foot traffic will do. We know that this may be inconvenient or challenging for some of our artists, and we are doing everything possible to help with load-in and load-out.
New Stage Location
To minimize disruption in the neighborhood, we’ve consulted with our neighbors, their association, and the City regarding show times and the orientation of the stage.
We’re also adding a picket-style fence perimeter around most of the Art Fair’s footprint, especially along High Street. There will be a few areas that have 6′ fencing.
The February 2021 ice storm that ravaged the Willamette Valley was devastating to the grove of ancient Oregon white oaks.
These majestic trees were already showing signs of stress due to modern irrigation systems and compaction caused by foot and vehicle traffic.
Protecting the historic Oregon white oak trees
In July 2021, the City of Salem released its Cultural Landscape Management Plan for Bush’s Pasture Park and Deepwood, which you can read here. The plan outlines the steps needed to help preserve the grove–one of the few left in Oregon–and protect the surrounding native landscapes.
SAA has been working with the City to develop a layout that limits the amount of foot and vehicle traffic around the trees and in the rest of the park. These changes, made in in accordance with the city plan, were required in order for the Art Fair to continue to at this beautiful location.