From the website: "Wulapalooza is an annual urban earth, art and music festival that takes place on…read morethe campus of Willamette University. Local schools, performance groups, and professional bands perform for over a thousand students and community members annually with local businesses and student groups fundraising for various charitable organizations. We are an Earth Day and community festival that yearly brings in thousands of community members and students." Thee Emergency is one of my favorite bands, but since they usually stick around Seattle, I knew I had to make the trek to Wulapalooza to see them play. I did miss the entire first part of the festival with the student and community booths and whatnot, so my commentary pertains solely to the evening program. However, Wulapalooza remains one of the strangest events I have ever been to, and it's not just because of the name. We arrived when the band was setting up to a crowd of a hundred or so students milling around a field. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a community festival, because it always seemed like we were the only non-students there. So Thee Emergency came out and rocked hard, as they are wont to do, but Willamette U. students must not be the rocking-est, because they were dancing around as if it were some hippie drum circle or something. Now, I love me some hippie drum circles, but there is a time and a place, and it's not when this bluesy, punk-y, soulful throwback to 70's-style rock 'n' roll is playing out live ten feet away, the guitar player throwing out sweet licks from behind his head and everything. Maybe it was the dearth of shoes. Maybe a body requires footwear to rock out. Anyway, we couldn't take any more of that for a while, so we went to get some dinner before Mirah was set to take stage. When we got back, the beer garden seemed irresistible, but we saw the door person checking off names. Now, I went to a huge state school, and it seemed entirely impossible that a university could have a full list of its 21-and-over students contained entirely on printed pages in a small-ish binder. How quaint. The beer garden really was only for students, but we were somehow convincing as alums. Beer was 3 for $10, which mathematically doesn't make sense and is also silly for two people to split, but whatever. Also, they had all kinds of free food up there that we abstained from due to the fact that we weren't really meant to eat it. The fact that the school was providing an entire free party for its students was starting to set in, holy crap. Next was Mirah, who was unfortunately playing in a gymnasium due to some noise ordinance shenanigans. When a very serene sort of performer like Mirah is playing, you have to really pay attention, especially when she is playing in the middle of a gymnasium and you are sitting cross-legged in front of her. However, dozens of side conversations almost drowned out the music, and then some students decided to get as close as possible to the bassist in order to flick their Bics, and someone's kids were allowed to walk all over near the performers and grab their hand percussion instruments, and the people dancing majestically still couldn't get the beat right. We stayed as long as we could bear, but the magic was gone. On the way out, a big truck was backing up to the stage, shining its lights on some students on the field wrapped up in the provided blankets. Moral: private school is strange.

Wulapalooza is the day I look forward to the most all year. Wula brings Willamette students, Salem…read moreinhabitants, and music/art/earth/fun enthusiasts from surrounding areas together under the glorious umbrella of everybody having a damn good time for free. You'd be a fool to miss it.

The Salem Art Fair has been a staple a Salem summers for years. The art is impressive and moving…read morethe stage out from under the oak trees was a good decision. However, I wish the booths for individual artists were still under the shade of the trees and the food options are disappointing. The addition of Gilgamesh Brewing is promising, but I think bringing in food trucks, or some new vendors, could provide better options.

There was a time that I really loved attending the annual Salem Art Fair. It was when I was a kid…read more Set amongst the beautiful shady trees at Bush Park, it was a nice summer time activity that didn't result in heat exhaustion. My mother and I used to always go together and get the delicious chocolate and almond dipped ice cream bars. It was fabulous. Then, after several years of not visiting, I finally went summer of '09 since I now live within walking distance (parking is a nightmare). What a shock. Just shock. At least half of the artists aren't even from Oregon, let alone the Salem area. There were people as far away from Colorado and Arizona slinging their "art" for rip off prices. Yeah, I said rip off. Look, I understand that art may take time and that these people might do this as a living. That's not my problem. As a consumer and a customer, I refuse to believe that the salt and pepper shakers they painted took so much time and effort that they warrant that $90 price tag. Am I an idiot? No. In addition to the above rip-off, the Salem Art Association will now be charging admission to "enjoy" the fair. They believe that "it's a good deal.... and $5 isn't that much money..." You're right, it's not a great deal of money, but that really isn't the point. It's a craft fair, not a museum. It's purpose is to allow patrons to purchase art, not rip people off. But I can't be too harsh, can I? The SAA reports that they ONLY made $215,000 on last years art fair. Boo hoo hoo. They also further justify this $5 fee by claiming that this art fair is one of the best in the country. I don't know the source of this information, but considering what a dump Salem is, I have a hard time believing it. Gah! Just another reason to avoid Salem.

The beat of the native drum circle and jingle dresses felt like home as we entered the event…read more Helpful volunteers were identified by the T-shirt they wore bearing by brother's design. In exchange for his work, we were provided 'VIP' access that included a tent with a prime view of the main stage and refreshments to cool down in between our rounds (shout out to the friendly and attentive VIP tent volunteers). Positive energy and pride exuded throughout Riverfront park during this long standing cultural festival as groups were decked out in regalia and traditional dress in preparation for a performance. The diversity and representation witnessed as I made my way through made my heart burst with joy. Making a choice on what to eat was tough, as there were more food trucks and options than I had seen before. ChoicesI went with Flourish Spices & African Food's 'Little bit of everything' plate and added a puff puff. It included black eyed peas, plantains, chicken and fish (they were very popular and had run out of rice that was normally included). My tastebuds agreed with my selection and savored every bite of food that perfectly complemented the other. The fish was well cooked and seasoned, very easy to separate from the bones. The puff puff was a fried dough, like a cross between a beignet and a hush puppy, but savory, and was a nice addition to my meal. I only wish I would've added vegetables, but had plenty to satisfy my appetite. There were also a lot of beverage options including specialty coffees, Aqua frescas, Hawaiian ice, flavored lemonades, and a beer garden with wine, cider, and brews. Vendor booths offered everything from turban wraps, native beaded earrings, and felted hats to African braiding, henna tattoos and cultural wares. A dedicated children's area had activities to keep the littles entertained while learning. Story tellers from across the globe shared folk tales and exposed guests of all ages to other cultures. I enjoyed watching traditional dancing and performances on multiple stages throughout the venue. Dragon boat races brought a thrill from the waterway below. Acosia Red Elk, an international award winning jingle dancer and enrolled member Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, took the stage explaining the origin of her regalia and shared an inspirational message with the crowd about intentions and connection. Supaman, a Native American dancer, hip hop artist, inspirational speaker and member of the Apsáalooke Nation on the Crow Reservation, leveled up; bringing energy to the outdoor amphitheater by inviting guests up to the stage to contribute to a beat box compilation with DJ Element, throwing out CDs for crowd participation, and ending with fan favorites. The Parade of Lights awed the audience with their flaming headpieces, wings, and torches as they made their grand entry around and up to the stage while members blew conch shells. This stunning and well thought out event drew interest across Salem, selling out tickets on Saturday. Many people I spoke to had been attending, volunteering, or participating for up to 15 years. Bravo and congratulations on a truly spectacular weekend!

Solid 4 star experience. 2015 fest review…read more Located on salem waterfront admission was $5 a person $15 for entire families. It was a fun time. It was not the best world music festival I had ever been to but it was nice. 3-4 stages of performers with folk dancing performances on the grass. Lots of ethnic food options, but they need more variety as far as countries represented. We had cuisine from the Greek and the Ethiopian food stalls. Both were flavorful and we would get them again. The young lady running the Ethiopian stall must have been having a bad day because she vibrated that feeling to her customers and was very unfriendly. We enjoyed the performances. The Iraqi music Ronny and Sherzad on guitar and keyboard was our favorite. Iraqi fusion music with latin and other cultural influences. We also enjoyed the Gamelan group. If I was the planner of this fest I would put the Gamelan Group farther away from the other performances. Gamelan is quiet and they were drowned out by the taiko drumming taking place at the next stage over. My Mr. said he would have liked if all the stages were spread out a little farther as to not drown out the other performances. The people running the salem drum circle group were very friendly and we jumped right in and jammed with them. They invited me back to perform with them on stage later that day, but we had limited time so we could not take part. There were a few vendors selling their wares. Much of it was the same- skirts, scarves, tapestries,boho gear,incense, etc. A few of the booths had really reasonable prices and we scored a few things. I would have liked to have seen more of a variety of clothes and wares offered up for sale. We had fun it was not that far of a drive 45-60 min from Portland ..we will return to this festival again. Plenty of on street parking. Sunday was not crowded with just the right amount of people in attendance.

Stopped here on the way home from Salem when we heard the music at the stop light!…read more Order at the little shed with a friendly server and it takes no time for it to come out. Had some of the best strawberry shortcake we've had this summer. In house cake and local strawberries with a pile of whip cream. Sat outside in the shade under a tree and listed to the band. Went inside to the market and bought some really fresh ripe peaches to eat the next day. Might be worth a trip down by itself next time.

I thought it would fun to check out the farm and support the local growers. Nice store/gift shop…read more Clean and inviting. There was a bit of everything. Breads, fresh produce, olives, jams, and so much more. Cute little strawberry shortcake stand on the outside. They also offer rootbeer floats, icecream sundaes and other desserts if strawberries are not your favorite. Service was friendly and fast. I will be back.

This Saturday market had several rows of booths and there was a great variety of handmade items in…read moreaddition to a food area. The market was busy but easy to navigate and vendors were friendly. I will definitely go back whenever I'm in town.

Love this market! I was down in Salem to watch some roller derby when I stopped in…read more Firstly, parking is super crazy easy and across the street from the market itself which is great. Everyone we encountered was friendly and welcoming. I had a fantastic surprise when I saw Granny Fi's shortbread! I had seen her at multiple events in Washington and was delighted to find her at the market--my kids were delighted to get some shortbread and millionaire bars outside of the summer events! Such a great selection of items, many allergy friendly choices and, so so so so so many dogs. It was glorious.

The owners of the Mavericks league are ruining baseball for the Salem area. their stadium is run…read moredown, seating is broken and jagged, missing cup holders expose metal arms in the seats and are a clear safety hazard. The management of the league is piss poor and they treat their teams, players and coaches like crap. I really wish they'd hire an actual umpire crew and not the good ol boys club. It's embarrassing watching an umpire forget a baseball rule and then eject a manager for trying to correct him. Hearing things like "that's a mavericks league strike" only further diminish your reputation. I doubt this will even reach someone who can and WILL make a change but fans should know. Don't waste your money if you actually like baseball and watching a competitive game supported by knowledgeable umpires who don't have a personal vendetta with players. Your money would be better spent at the Keizer little league fields watching 8u baseball.

Truly lovely night at the ballpark - plenty of "Whitey Small Ball"…read more (https://tht.fangraphs.com/whitey-ball/) (rule #1. RUN, rule #2. RUN, rule #3. RUN) to keep the hardcore MLB fans in full thrall. The food is expensive (please, skip the $5.75 microwaved pretzels and the $4.75 bag of Cracker Jack that is mostly air, in a fancy bag), but the tickets and beers are cheap, so it all evens out. Overall 5 stars!

Decent Beer Festival, good representation of the local Salem breweries, the rest are from either…read moreColumbia Distributing, Venti's, and B2 Tap Rooms. (Miller and Miller Lite are on the list, what self-respecting beer fest serves those? Yea, nix the macros) So, largely widely distributed breweries with a few smaller ones thrown in. If you are someone like me who goes to a lot of tastings there won't bee too many that you haven't had yet, but I did find one or 2 new ones. My suggestion would be to limit the selection to individual breweries from Oregon, and not limit it to ones with a distribution agreement, would increase the variety and keep it much more local small craft artisan oriented. As is, I will still go every year to support it, but could definitely be improved.