The 2023 Farwest Show celebrate 50 year of bring nursery professionals together in style August 23–25 , with more exhibitioner , more attendant — and in spades more fun .
“ The nursery and greenhouse manufacture is Oregon ’s leading agricultural sphere , ” said Allan Niemi , director of events for the Oregon Association of Nurseries , which produce Farwest . “ The Farwest Show put that on full display , with many different growers , provider , and service providers all there to get wind , make connections , do business , and just grow , in every sense . ”
The show brought together more than 4,000 attendees from 14 countries and 44 states for two sell - out nursery tour of duty , a diverse raiment of educational seminars , a full floor of expo booths , four social gatherings , and a megabucks of surprises celebrating the show ’s five decades of beingness .
Those surprise included a 28 - piece march dance band weaving throughout the show story ( The Beat Goes On ) , ended with professional dancer and a baton twirler ; a bagpiping unicyclist ( the Unipiper ) going up and down the aisles , dress up in a kilt and a Darth Vader helmet ; a fiftieth - day of remembrance cake - cutting ceremonial with plenty to go around ; and a well - experience visit from the one and only Caesar the No - Drama Llama .
“ We wanted to make the show fun and memorable , and it was , judging by all the multitude bringing out their cameras , ” Niemi said . “ I ca n’t tell you how many masses acquire video of the band and Unipiper and selfies with Caesar the No - Drama Llama . ”
Others vex into the act as well . Longtime exhibitioner Pac Fibre Soils of Canby , Oregon , came up with a scheme to add play and concern connections together . They create a treasure hunt with four other exhibitors on the expo floor , include Western Pulp Products Company , Walla Walla Nursery Co. , Blooming Nursery , and OBC Northwest Inc.
Attendees stop at each kiosk , putting together their own plant in a container to take home . take back to Pac Fibre ’s John Wilkes Booth , they could then claim a bonus prize of a Pac Fibre potable bottle . This fun gem hunt brought extra dealings and engagement to all five cubicle .
“ Everyone have sex it , ” say Nate Marsh , sales handler . “ It brought in raw contacts . It was that soft opening for mass that probably would n’t have looked at us . ” He went on to say that the 2023 Farwest Show was “ plausibly the good it ’s been in five old age . Seeing where your connection takes you opens up young possibilities . ”
Oregon Association of Nurseries ( OAN)www.oan.org
