All the signs in front of the hotels between Colville and Republic in Washington state read something along the lines of “Welcome Hunters, No Vacancy.” While the deer season opens in some of the wildest land in Washington, over 10,000 people are migrating through to find their way to the 34th annual Okanogan Family Faire. In Republic, a group of individuals wearing orange vests and camoflauged ballcaps sit to cheer on the hordes of unique vehicles making their way to the valley in the Okanogan highlands that the Faire calls home.
In 1973, a group of like-minded individuals created the Faire in order to gather together during the fall and trade tools, foodstuffs and other items for the winter. At the time, the Faire was a simple way for many of the nomadic and stationary people of the Hippie generation to gather and trade unneeded items for needed ones – it was a simple act of nesessity.
The Faire quickly gathered cultural traditions and values, such as antiestablishmentarianism, world peace and brotherly love. In its origin, the Faire was an event created out of nessesity. Today, the ideals upon which the Faire was based stand, but the nessesity has long gone.
Marking the way up the steep, dusty road to the flat where the Faire is held are a series of multicolored signs. The signs read “Peace,” “Take care of one another” and “Welcome, you’re family now.”
The vehicles climbing up the hill next to them are no less colorful. Many look to be from another generation entirely. A multicolored school bus with a drum kit nailed to the roof for instance.
Soon after follows a small army of Volkswagen buses, an ancient, unrecognizable station wagon riddled with political bumper stickers and a 1970s double decker tourbus converted to a café. License plates on the slow moving vehicles range from the Alaska's Yukon to California, Virginia to Mexico.
Farther up the road is the burned out carcass of an old car. A group of young people surround it, singing Bob Dylan songs and smoking cigarettes. At the entrance is a man with a white beard and a kilt selling tickets for ten dollars a piece.
From the hill overlooking the Faire the plain circular plan of the booths is visible. The layout resembles a target with a circular clearing in the center, working it’s way out into the campsites at the fringes.
In the day-parking lot a mass of people lounge around their respective cars, gathering barter goods or putting the finishing touches on the wares they hope to trade. During the day these campless traders will walk from booth to booth to trade goods.
Any number of goods for any size price or barter can be found lining the narrow walkways. Alumnus and Barter Faire veteran AJ Hanenburg has visited the Okanogan Faire three times.
“I’ve seen everything up for sale there. Lots of organic perishables, bicycles, tools, antiques, garbage," Hanenburg said. "I’ve seen people walking around with fish tanks full of buds of [marijuana] for barter. You can find just about anything.”
Indeed, as Hanenburg points out, the drug culture is quite prevalent. It would be unusual to go over an hour without being propositioned to buy or sell drugs. It would be even more unusual to go an entire day at the Faire without someone putting a burning joint in your face, he said.
Just because the Okanogan Family Faire has the word “family” in its title doesn’t mean it’s rated G. Despite the clear rules and regulations barring drug use and encouraging a family atomosphere, the free love and mental expansion movement of the late '60s continues to play a big role in the culture of the Faire. Considering the virtual nonexistance of any form of security, one has to wonder if these rules are more like suggestions.
Once the sun goes down, the Faire changes form. Instead of the peaceful, albiet slightly smoky farmers market it represents during the day, it becomes a wild celebration. Marking the various intersections of the Faire stand small “hospitality fires.” These fires offer refuge to the roaming nightlife of the Faire.
Often there will be a large pot of community stew or soup which the caretakers of the fire provide to the wandering public. Other hospitality fires will host live music or storytelling.
The wilder side of the Faire can be found in the center of the circle. A large pile of wood which is gathered during the day, becomes a flaming inferno of a fire upon sundown. Surrounding the fire is a layer of dancers, a layer of drummers and a large group of onlookers. The drumming and dancing is known to continue through the night.
The Okanogan Family Faire, although notably rough around the edges, is a one-of-a-kind event. Because the Faire is located on private land and run by a private organization, many unique things happen there. The hippie movement has long been rendered dead by most. Even many of those who sympathized with the movement in its prime have now grown apart from the revolutionary ideals that made it historic.
The Okanogan Faire and others like it stand as signposts to a bygone era. Upon a little searching, it is possible to stumble upon some true gems of American culture, and rarely are such dramatic examples of alternative culture availible in such near proximity to Spokane as the Okanogan Family Faire is.
Contact Tyson Motsenbocker at tyson.motsenbocker@whitworthian.com.
Barter Faire showcases 'gems' of American culture
Published: Sunday, October 26, 2008
Updated: Saturday, February 28, 2009 13:02
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