Our Story
Dear neighbors and visitors -
What started as a small community arts festival in 1973 has turned into one of the top arts and crafts festivals in the Pacific Northwest.
My association with the festival began in 1978 at age 12. That year my boy scout troop oversaw the children’s activity area, and I was put in charge of the children’s wood sculpture gluing area. This “glue-in” had been a tradition at the festival since year one and featured assorted sizes of wood pieces to fire the imagination of the children.
The festival was organized by the Corvallis Area Chamber of Commerce as a community event in and around Central Park to welcome the Oregon State University students back to town. There were 100 participating artisans along with entertainment, kids’ activities, and food booths.
During the 1980s and 90s, I witnessed the festival’s growth. More artisans were invited to participate and a wine garden was added to feature local wineries. In 1992, to celebrate the festival’s 20th anniversary, I led the effort to expand and relocate the food booths and main stage entertainment onto Monroe Avenue. That year, the festival was a three-day event.
The festival remained under the auspices of the Corvallis Area Chamber of Commerce until February 1994. A change of leadership and philosophy at the Chamber prompted the Board of Directors to spin off the festival to become an independent entity with its own Board of Directors and organizing committee.
In the 2000s, the festival continued to expand. A fine arts showcase was added to feature the works of the participating artists. A young artists’ marketplace was started to give children 18 and under an opportunity to sell their handcrafted items and a children’s entertainment stage was added to allow children to perform.
While the festival’s quality and reputation is now known throughout the Pacific Northwest and west coast, we pride ourselves on maintaining its roots of having a welcoming, community vibe. All items sold are still handcrafted by artisans. The festival hosts over 175 arts and crafts booths in addition to food booths, continuous entertainment on two stages, the children’s Art Discovery Zone, the Young Artists’ Marketplace, a Saturday Night Street Dance, and the Fall Festival Run.
Thank you for your support and for celebrating our 50-year anniversary with us. I hope that you enjoy all the fun aspects this festival has to offer!
George Abele
2023 Corvallis Fall Festival Board President
Notable Dates
1973: The first Corvallis Fall Festival took place on September 22 & 23.
1978: The Fall Festival Run was added as an event.
1981: Over 2 inches of rain fell during the festival.
1992: To celebrate the festival’s 20th anniversary, the organizing committee expanded that year’s event from two to three days. The food court and main stage were moved from the original location by the Arts Center to the location used today on Monroe Avenue. The Saturday night street dance, which had been discontinued several years prior, was restarted.
1994: A change of leadership and philosophy at the Chamber of Commerce prompted the Board of Directors to spin off the festival to become an independent entity with its own Board of Directors and Organizing Committee.
2003: The warmest festival on record, with temperatures reaching almost 100 degrees.
2013: A former typhoon came ashore with heavy rains and winds that ended the festival early on Saturday afternoon.
2020: The festival was canceled for the first time in its history due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
2023: The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary with an expanded food court, two stages of entertainment, and the first street dance since 2019.