Shop for a greener home, eat sprouts, and commune with Kesey and The Dead in this hip, health-conscious college town
The Kiva (125 W. 11th Ave.; 541/342-8666), a natural-foods store that opened in 1970, and Sundance Natural Foods (pictured left; 748 E. 24th Ave.; 541/343-9142), a Eugene staple since 1971, are the granddaddies of the city’s natural-foods scene. The Kiva has a large selection of books as well as food; Sundance offers an all-vegetarian salad bar and hot food buffet, plus a big bulk-foods section.
Before every town had its own eco-home store or fair-trade shop, there was Down to Earth Home, Garden & Gift. Tote your recyclable shopping bag there to stock up on household and gardening goods like bird feeders, rakes, and lanterns, made from mostly natural, recycled, and biodegradable materials. The main store, open since 1977, is part of the Farmers’ Union Marketplace. 532 Olive St.; 541/342-6820
The late author and Merry Prankster Ken Kesey brought his hippie friends―including the Grateful Dead―back to his hometown; his family still makes Nancy’s Yogurt (nancysyogurt.com) at the Springfield Creamery here. Head to the plaza at Broadway and Willamette Street to see The Storyteller, Peter Helzer’s bronze statue of Kesey.
The Eugene Saturday Market, the nation’s oldest open-air crafts festival, is still doing a brisk business after 39 years. You can, of course, find tie-dye, but locals prefer the “I bike Eugene” and “I run Eugene” T-shirts. At the food court, try a Tofu Tia (a vegan burrito) at Tofu Palace, where Toby’s Family Foods (tobysfamilyfoods.com), a leading natural-foods manufacturer, got its start. 10–5 Sat; Eighth Ave. at Oak St.; eugenesaturdaymarket.org
Take it Home
The honey from GloryBee Foods is famous in Eugene. Pick some up at local chain Market of Choice (marketofchoice.com); it’s also available at some natural-foods stores. If you get in on Friday, GloryBee’s factory store (closed Sat–Sun; 55 N. Seneca Rd.; glorybeefoods.com) is worth a trip.