Candice Harbour works for the Associated Students of the University of Oregon as an event planner. She is currently studying Planning, Public Policy and Management. This is her second year running the Street Faire.
Q&A: ASUO Street Faire Organizer, Candice Harbour
What is the Street Faire?
The Street Faire is a bi-annual event that happens in the fall and in the spring. There are vendors that line 13th Ave. for a week to sell food, clothing, and crafts. It’s an opportunity for people in the community and elsewhere to come and sell their products to get exposure and share their work. It’s a great chance for students to see what’s out there. It’s a very profitable event with both the vendors and ASUO. Last fall we ended up making close to $22,000. That money goes towards funding other ASUO sponsored events and covering daily costs in the office.
Can you run through how you go about setting up the Street Faire?
It’s a big job! I start by making a timeline, a detailed schedule with deadlines for everything that needs to get done. In order for this to work, we have had to plan three years in advance to shut down part of 13th Ave. For everything else, I start planning months in advance and connect with people. I work with the maintenance staff in order to remove all the bike racks. I work with the custodial staff to make sure we have proper trash and compost bins. Most importantly, I work with the fire marshal to ensure that we’re not breaking any fire codes and all the carts are in working order. The vendors turn in applications a few months in advance; we get people coming from Oregon, Washington, and California. Anyone is welcome, but most are from here in town.
Are there certain requirements for the food carts to be approved?
No, I really make my decision based on the price and what’s popular among the students. I want everyone who comes here to do well, so I make sure to accept applications from people who have done well in past or are selling interesting things that I think people would really enjoy. As far as requirements, each vendor has to pay a flat rate, like at any festival they go to, but we don’t take a cut of their daily profits like others do. The carts must have their own source of electricity, whether that be a generator or propane, and be able to dispose of waste properly and effectively.