For art lovers, the Salem Art Fair & Festival in July is a stimulating event. Some 100,000 revelers throng to Bush's Pasture Park during this free three-day celebration of creativity captured in ceramics, glass, painting, jewelry, and woodwork. Festivalgoers are treated to the works of 200 national and regional artists, hands-on demonstrations, and two stages of live entertainment.

FAIR PLAY Country crooner Tracy Byrd and rocker Joan Jett are among the acts appearing at this year’s Oregon State Fair in Salem, August 26–September 6. Information: (503) 947-3247, www.oregonstatefair.org.

The 100-acre park is also the site of the Bush Barn Art Center, with its three exhibition galleries, and the Bush House Museum, a Victorian Italianate home built in 1878 by businessman Asahel Bush ii. The estate's original greenhouse, the oldest in Oregon, is open to anyone who wants a glimpse of a staghorn fern, a barrel cactus, or dozens of other plants.

In 1834, long before Bush became a prominent Salem citizen, Methodist missionary Jason Lee arrived in the valley and settled on the banks of the Willamette River. Though he had little success converting the native Kalapuya Indians to Christianity, Lee did establish the Oregon Institute—the precursor of Willamette University, whose tree-lined campus extends along several blocks near the capitol.

A bit west of the university, the Willamette River winds its way past 22-acre Riverfront Park. On the park's north end sit the three Victorian homes that make up the renowned A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village. A Salem native, Gilbert was a gold medal pole-vaulter at the 1908 Olympics and went on to create the Erector set. Today, the museum that bears his name is stuffed with interactive exhibits for kids. Young inventors can build toys from everyday items in the workshop, wander through a replica of an ancient fir forest, and encase themselves inside a giant soap bubble.

CHILD'S DELIGHT Busy little bees can buzz from one entertaining exhibit to the next at A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village. 116 Marion St. NE in Riverfront Park, 371-3631, www.acgilbert.org.

South of the museum sits Eco-Earth. Once a storage tank for acid used in papermaking, this 25-foot stainless steel orb is now covered in a mosaic of handcrafted tiles representing people, places, and wildlife from around the world.

Salem's Riverfront Carousel, in the park's center, features 42 dazzling carved wooden horses with colorful monikers such as Stardust, Tropical Breeze, Happy Holidays, and Legal Tender.

Those with an urge to shop should head to the 1870 Reed Opera House and its collection of stores and restaurants. Opus One Recordings specializes in classical, opera, choral, and jazz CDs and music-related gifts. Made in Salem showcases jewelry, cards, candles, and other wares by local artists. From the opera house, it's a leisurely stroll to more boutiques and shops such as Greenbaum's Quilted Forest, which Better Homes and Gardens ranked as one of the nation's best quilt shops last year. Pick up cherries, pears, fresh flowers, and other seasonal offerings at the Salem Saturday Market, three blocks north of the capitol on the corner of Summer and Marion streets.

If you'd rather see a show, visit the Historic Elsinore Theatre. This 1926 Gothic structure, with its ornate ceilings and proscenium arch, hosts concerts, stage productions, and films.

The majestic theater and Salem's other restored buildings all stand as monuments to the city's cultural character. Whether you're an art aficionado seeking new treasures or a day-tripper tempted by a turn on the classic carousel, Oregon's capital has a colorful palette from which to pick.