Oregon Country Fair 2026

Busking at Oregon Country Fair is a always a high point of my year. 2026 was especially delightful because of fellow musician friends, both old and new. On Sunday evening I was playing at one of my favorite spots along the 8, around dinner time, right as the heat began to break. A man named Vincent stopped to listen for a while. He looked familiar, and after talking for a minute we realized where we knew each other from: the weekly Irish session in Eugene, circa 2003, when it was still held at Perugino’s cafe. I started playing at that session when I was 11 or 12.

Musicians of all ages, instruments and experience levels would form a large circle in the center of the cafe. On really good nights, the staff would give us a few panini sandwiches cut into eighths, a pile of little triangles to share. I’d sit patiently while I waited for my turn to call one of the few tunes I knew, but eventually began picking out notes and phrases of new tunes as well. This led to a well-developed skill of learning by ear, and a large repertoire of jigs, reels, slides and polkas that only my fingers can remember. I asked Vincent what instrument he brought to those sessions, and if he still plays. He played the flute, and in fact he was carrying one with him as we spoke! Of course, we had to play something together. (How about a slip jig? The Butterfly? That’s a great one...)

The familiar tone of his specific flute transported me right back to those cafe seats. A loud voice brought me back to reality, as an apparent friend of Vincent’s sped by with an enthusiastic greeting, hands full of dinner, saying something about a mandolin before disappearing down one of Fair’s wooded paths… Vincent and I played a few tunes more. A crowd began streaming past from what I now know was a killer set by Natsukashii Soul and the Energy Park stage. A few moments later — I could hear the mandolin before I saw him — the duo became a trio! Shortly thereafter a bumblebee with a fiddle case stopped to listen, and of course she was quickly recruited for our impromptu band.

I’m not sure if any photos exist of the four of us, but I’ll never forget it — the most spectacular finale of a magical weekend of music.

Thankfully, the weekend was not entirely without documentation. My husband Chandlor accompanied me on one of my daytime escapades, armed with his Canon AE-1. Also pictured… another awesome spontaneous jam session… perhaps the world’s first tenor banjo and jawharp duo. :)

If you’re interested in seeing more of Chandlor’s shots, check him out on IG at @nywelehendo and order prints on Etsy! Supporting even one of our creative endeavors really supports both <3

Love! Alison