The longest-running logging show on the West Coast will return this week, as the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree and Logging Show will have chainsaws revving and crowds cheering.
The event will happen in Vernonia and span three days, from Aug. 2 to Aug. 4. Jamboree Board President Roby Brewer said he and organizers are hoping to see around 8-10 thousand people attending the festivities over the course of the jamboree. Though he said the festival has been around since 1956, attendees should expect some fun new additions, and welcome returning components.
“In addition to what we’ve done in previous years, this year we have a Friday night concert starting at 5 p.m. in Spencer Park. We have two opening acts that are then headlined by STEEN,” Brewer said. “Saturday, there will be mutton busting in the ridge riders arena.”
STEEN is the band of Vernonia hometowner Sara McMahon, and they will take the stage at Spencer Park from 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Acoustic soloist Jeff Lucas will open for STEEN, at about 6 p.m. Nearby Anderson Park will also be abuzz with activity, as people will have the option to ride a mechanical bull and watch a mini version of the rodeo as kids take on sheep during “mutton busting” from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will also be a beer garden on Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
In addition to the Friday festivities, Aug. 3 will feature the Friendship Jamboree and Logging Show Parade. Fun will continue at Spencer Park, with the Log Jam Car Show starting at 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., the Friendship Jamboree Motorcycle Show at 12 p.m., with the beer garden starting service at 9 a.m. through the end of the day at 10 p.m.
There will also be live music and The Decades Band will be playing in Spencer Park from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30, and solo acoustic Matt Minnick will be playing at 6 p.m. in Shay Park.
Also on Saturday, the American Legion Post #119 centennial celebration BBQ will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Legion Hall. The tribute Creedence Clearwater Revival Tribute Band “Fortunate Son” will play throwback tunes, and the BBQ is open to the public.
Finally, Aug. 4, the adult logging show will put a cap on the weekend, including competitions and exhibitions in axe throw, pole walk, steeple chase, pole fall, Boomstick run, choker setting, hot saw, 4-5 working saw, 5-6 working saw. To participate, people must be 18-years-old or over and registration is from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. It’s a $20 flat fee and the show starts at 11:00 a.m.
The Vernonia Ridge Riders Friendship Jamboree Belt Buckle Playday will also be Aug. 4 with a 9:30 a.m. signup with games starting at
10:30 a.m., including keyhole, birangle, poles, and barrels. It’s $20 to participate for members and $40 for nonmembers.
It won’t just be activities on the docket; the event will also have plenty of good eats and shopping opportunities. Organizers estimate that around 80 food and merchant vendors will be at the jamboree. One of the things Brewer is excited to bring back to the event is the “kids zones.”
“I am most excited to be able to bring kids zones back this year,” Brewer said. “Kids zones will be open all weekend, and we will have two of them, one for toddlers and one for bigger kids.”
Those will be sure to offer some extra entertainment for youngsters attending the festival this year. Community Connections of Oregon volunteer Angela Wayman, who has helped with this year’s Log Jam Car Show and event said this year is different because there is a new board helping put on the festival.
“Vernonia Jamboree is under a new board, and they’re doing their best to improve things from years past. They are all local to Vernonia board members so they really know some history,” Wayman said. “It’s really been amazing helping the board out on this one, there is so much love in Vernonia with the schedule of events for the weekend, it’s incredible the amount of community that comes out of such a small town!”
The Vernonia Friendship Jamboree isn’t just a community gathering, though. It’s also an economic infusion for a town with a population of about 2,417 as of 2022. Brewer said she hopes people from around the county will come out.
“This event is very important to our community as it brings in people from out of town, so it’s an economic influx for our community,” Brewer said. “We are trying hard to make it a family-friendly event that all are welcome to. I hope to see a large turnout and support from the whole county.”
New look
Something that will be different this year is the sign that points folks in the direction of Vernonia along Highway 26. Thanks to the work of a local group called the Vernonia Freewheelers and the Columbia Economic Team (CET), there’s a new sign that was unveiled earlier this summer.
According to the CET, the final design is intended to capture the history, heritage, and personality of the community and the surrounding area of Columbia County’s Timberlands “in a way that will not just attract the interest of potential visitors, but strongly reflect community pride.”
Vernonia City Administrator Josette Mitchell explained that the old sign was deteriorating and a new sign was necessary. While some locals are still adjusting, Mitchell said the new sign is a positive change.
“As with anything new, some citizens miss the old sign, but more and more, the citizens that once didn’t love it are warming up to the change,” Mitchell said. “The condition of the old sign didn’t represent our community in a positive light. By constructing a new sign, our community was able to positively represent our vibrant community, help to draw people from the Metro area to a day trip to Vernonia and participate in Columbia County’s new county-wide branding theme. The new sign has removable signage that will invite travelers to our various community-wide events throughout the year.”
That new signage brings us back to the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree, as the finishing touches for this summer’s installation of the sign was the addition of event signage pointing the way to the annual logging and friendship festival.
With the Columbia County Fair and Rodeo in the rearview mirror, along with Rainier Days, and Clatskanie’s Heritage Days, the Vernonia Friendship Jamboree and Logging Show is likely one of the last big Columbia County events of the summer. Make sure to not miss out!
“For our community it is a time old friends and residents that have moved away come back for the weekend,” Mitchell said. “It celebrates our great community groups; our local Lions serve delicious food, the Vernonia Ridge Riders host equine events, local groups sell products and fundraise and share with the visitors and tourists all that our community has to offer! The weekend ends on Sunday with the annual Logging Show, which highlights the timber industry, which is still a vital industry for Vernonia and its citizens.”
To see the full list of activities and events, visit the jamboree website at https://vernoniafriendshipjamboree.com .
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