Windows in Time: Our Story - The Barter Fair

Name: Windows in Time: Our Story - The Barter Fair
Start: 2026-10-14T19:00:00.000Z
End: 2026-10-14T20:00:00.000Z
Location: Ashland Library

About

In 1978, Alan Venetsky founded the Barter Fair as a crop-trading event on his Williams farm. It evolved into a vibrant counter-culture festival drawing over 10,000 people by 1995. However, in 1996, Jackson County imposed an $18,000 fee and deployed heavy police presence, leading to the fair's collapse and subsequent First Amendment civil rights litigation. Jackson County was found guilty and paid $60,000 to organizers.

Three longtime participants will share personal memories and memorabilia from the fair's early years through the 1990s: Jessie Spero, Maya Reames, and Michelle Scherer. This lunchtime lecture is part of the monthly Windows in Time series, jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society and Jackson County Library Services.