A Trip Down Memory Lane: The Estacada Timber Festival
Growing up in Estacada, Oregon—a town steeped in the traditions of the logging industry—was a unique experience. One of the highlights of our year was always the Estacada Timber Festival. A grand event that began in 1958 that celebrated the very heart of our community.
I remember in the ’60s and ’70s, the Timber Festival was a big competition that drew loggers from all over, even as far as Canada! It featured everything from log rolling to axe throwing, and the whole town turned out to watch and cheer. I can still remember the excitement, the smell of sawdust in the air, and the sense of pride in our local logging heritage.
The festival wasn’t just about the competitions. It kicked off with a big parade that brought everyone together, and how in later years, the day always ended with a spectacular fireworks display. I still remember the couple of years they were shooting the fireworks off behind the high school. There was a huge field back there, and everyone brought a blanket, laid down, and could watch the fireworks going off right over head. It was awesome! It was also a true slice of good old-fashioned hometown fun.
I remember as a kid, the Timber Festival wasn’t complete without the carnival that rolled into town. For us little ones, that was the main event—cotton candy, rides, and the dizzying whirl of the Ferris wheel and other rides our parents hoped wouldn’t make us sick. It was pure magic and an essential part of our summer fun. When you live in a town with a population of less than a thousand people, something like the Timber Festival was huge! Flash forward to about ten years ago. Many of the loggers competing are local loggers, or they were local loggers, and many of them have been competing in the festival for decades!
One of my fondest memories is the year Ramblin’ Rod, the beloved host of our favorite afternoon children’s cartoon show, served as the grand marshal of the parade. Ramblin’ Rod might’ve been a local celebrity, but to us kids, he was as big as any national star.
By the time I was in junior high, I was in the marching band, marching in the Timber Festival parade. We grew up with the Timber Festival and all that went with it, and it’s a huge part of my hometown’s nostalgia.
Though Estacada has grown over the years, (the population is now a little over 5000) the festival had its last run in 2019, but there have been efforts to revive it in recent years. I’m not sure if they succeeded, as I’ve been down in California, but the memories of those festivals still bring a smile to my face. It’s a reminder of how special and tight-knit our community was—and still is.
Does your hometown have something like the Timber Festival that you grew up with? Is it still going strong? Or has it faded over the years?