1. Everyone In Eugene Wears Birkenstocks And Tie-Dye On A Fancy Day
It doesn’t matter how old you are or how many square feet your house takes up, “hippie” is the unofficial Eugene uniform.
If you’ve arrived in town and feel like you don’t fit in, not to worry—there are multiple Birkenstock retailers in town and you can buy tie-dye everything in Eugene, from shirts, dresses and pants to even socks and underwear!
You could also just get a huge tie dye tapestry and wrap it around you—you’re sure to make a whole bunch of new friends that way.
2. The People Of Eugene Are All Ducks Lunatics
Whether we’re talking football, basketball, baseball or track and field, Eugenians are always, without a doubt, wearing green and yellow and screaming for U of O. Go Ducks!
Even if you’re talking golf, tennis or volleyball, it’s still… Go Ducks! Soccer, rugby, or lacrosse? Go Ducks!
… Starting to get the picture here?
And don’t even mention the Civil War with Oregon State, unless you want an hour-long lecture on why the Ducks will always win.
3. Eugenians Are All Local Beer Pushers
They can’t even fathom why anyone would drink anything else.
And with more local breweries in town than you could ever visit in a week, it’s not really hard to see why: Ninkasi Brewing, Oakshire Brewing, Steelhead Brewing, Claim 52 Brewing, Falling Sky Brewing House, and even Growler Nation, a one-stop, craft beer filling station.
Don’t even think about going into any of these places and asking for a domestic. You’ll notice the obvious whispers, moans and groans right away. Just pretend you had a stroke or something and follow the crowd.
4. Everyone In Eugene Saves Up For Fancy Bikes Instead Of Fancy Cars
If you’re not a fan of bikes, you might as well keep on driving past Eugene. You’ll get stuck driving behind them, wait forever for the group rides to pass, and be forced to slow down to 10 miles an hour because simply everyone is obsessed with riding bikes in Eugene..
The best course of action? If you can’t beat ‘em, join em,’ and they’ve made it pretty easy for you. Bikers have 42 miles of shared-use paths, 81 miles of on-street bicycle lanes, and 35 miles of signed bikeways to choose from.
And it’s really no surprise that Eugenians are so crazy about biking everywhere, since…
5. The People Of Eugene Will Make Sure You Know They're Greener Than You
Eugenians are the definition of sustainable snobs. They drink out of mason jars, never ever forget their cloth grocery bags at the grocery store (where they’ll only buy local, organic food) and won’t hesitate to form circles around trees to keep them from being cut down.
They aren’t just proudly aware of how sustainable they are themselves, they’re also watching you. If you forget your cloth bags, don’t think you can sneak away without getting called out.
6. Everyone In Eugene Will Laugh At Your Vegetables
Sure, it's pretty common nowadays to have that one extreme vegetarian or vegan friend. But if you’re a pure carnivore or don’t really care about organic stuff, you’re basically a pariah in Eugene.
And these people aren’t just latching on to the craze now—they’ve been eating organic and vegetarian since before you even knew what those words meant.
Everyone in Eugene is a backyard farmer. There are six community gardens in town with over 300 plots, and a ton of restaurants to keep the people’s standards snobby. I mean, high.
7. Eugenians Are All Weed Snobs
There’s more than one way to be “green” in Eugene. Yeah, you know what I mean.
These people didn’t wait until the medical marijuana dispensary licenses were handed out earlier this year. They’ve been going “green” long before that.
And they don’t even subject themselves to the regular weed everyone else smokes: The dispensaries in Eugene offer every kind of strain, concentrate, tinctures and edibles—including sugar and gluten-free options, of course. Trust me, they know their stuff.
8. Everyone In Eugene Thinks Being Homeless Is Just Fine, Man
It’s true, there’s still a lot of homelessness in Eugene, and the city has been doing its part to help with projects like the Opportunity Village.
However, to some of the less “residentially inclined” citizens, “homeless” doesn’t always mean you’re down on your luck. Many are social dropouts by choice. They’ll be more than happy to share how they’ve chosen freedom over “working for the man,” and how they don’t want to be a part of “the system” or live like “sheeple”—and why you shouldn’t either, man.
9. The People Of Eugene Use Any Excuse To Wear A Weird Costume
Oregon Country Fair? It’s time for a costume!
Street Festival? It’s time for a costume!
Tuesday Afternoon? Yep, costume time.
The fine folks in Eugene believe that even if there’s nothing special happening on any given day, wearing an...original costume is totally cool, man.
On any given day you might see a fairy, a 1970s pimp, or a person simply dressed head-to-toe in purple. Eugenians are all about adding their own signature sparkle to an otherwise normal day, and the easiest way to do it is with your clothes. Especially in July, since…
10. Eugenians Lose Their Minds Over The Country Fair
If you want to see what Eugenians are really like summed up in one experience, you’ll find it at the Oregon Country Fair. And you’ll know when it’s coming up, since the people talk about it all year long.
Over 45,000 counterculture hippies grace the campgrounds each year, and Eugenians are right at home with the tie-dye, Birkenstocks, face paint and dreads for as far as the eye can see, along with the scent of body odor and patchouli waft through the campgrounds.
If Eugenians had their way, life would be one big Oregon Country fair.
