Gay Nineties Festival and Ballad Town U.S.A. Oral History Videos Collection

Content Description

A collection of 9 oral history video recordings collected by Pacific University student Elle Griego in June-August, 2025. The oral histories explore the history of Forest Grove's Gay Nineties Festival and the Barbershop Ballad Contest at the Pacific University Archives. The Gay Nineties was an annual festival centered around a theme of nostalgia for the 1890s decade. The event, which ran from 1947 through the 1990s, featured a parade downtown, residents dressing up in 1890s-themed costumes for the celebrations, local businesses decorating their window displays, and the crown jewel of the event, the Original All-Northwest Barbershop Ballad Contest, which earned Forest Grove the nickname “Ballad Town U.S.A.” The recordings are in digital .MP4 format and are accompanied by transcripts in .txt format.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Provenance

Collected and donated by Elle Griego, 2025.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

No