Salem's Englewood Park is turning 100 this year, a number that eclipses the eight-year anniversary of the Aug. 8 festival that's centered around celebrating the community space.
The Englewood Forest Festival has taken place at Englewood Park every year since 2017, except for a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, chief festival organizer Lynn Takata said. It features booths from dozens of local environmental organizations and non-profits, along with local officials.
"We want to bring the community in and help them understand the ecological history of the park," Takata said.
For the first time in festival history, Dark Sky Oregon, an organization that seeks to reduce light pollution, will allow attendees to demo its new solar telescope. Chemeketa Community College astronomy instructor Chris Claysmith will also be there to talk about the skies.
The festival will also feature a new repair fair, Takata said. Participants can bring broken appliances to repair or recycle. The fair is sponsored by Marion County Environmental Services, which asks for registration beforehand to ensure the necessary materials are available.
Lord & Schryver Conservancy, a group that honors the legacy of the architectural firm that designed the park, will also have a presence at the festival, Executive Director Yvonne Putze said.
Lord & Schryver was the first landscape architectural firm to be owned and operated by women in the Pacific Northwest, Putze said. Elizabeth Lord, the daughter of former Oregon governor William Paine Lord, was on the Salem parks council when the city bought Englewood. Lord's business partner, Edith Schryver, designed the park and implemented features like the playground and wade pool, which are still in place today.
Schryver designed the park to be a gathering place, Putze said. It was a project she undertook in 1941.
"I think Elizabeth and Edith would've loved the (festival)," Putze said.
The legacy of the festival, both for the ecological history of the park and those who designed it, makes it special for organizers.
"We just love it," Takata said. "It's so much work but we feel like its not a one-day festival. The festival goes on to provide weeks of collaboration."
Putze sees the centennial as furthering the legacy of Lord & Schryver. She hears people say every year how remarkable to women were.
"I think it's an inspirational story for anyone with goals in the profession they want to do," Putze said.
The Englewood Forest Festival takes place Aug. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Englewood Park, 1192 20th St. NE in Salem.
Kenny McMillen is an intern at the Statesman Journal. Reach him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: A forested Salem city park turns 100 this year. When's the party?