Y’all, the folks at Benton County Fair & Rodeo are looking to lasso some logo design votes from the public, and hey, that means you if you’d like.
Yessir, that would be the official logo for the 2026 Benton County Fair & Rodeo. And it’s down to four finalist designs.
The “Design Rodeo” contest, which ran from November through February, called on artists of all ages to submit original designs inspired by the theme “Stars, Stripes and Summer Nights.” After reviewing submissions, the Benton County Fair Board and fair organizers selected four finalists that reflect the creativity and community spirit behind the annual event.
Now, community members are being encouraged to weigh in. Votes are being collected both online and through community outreach, with results combined to determine the winning design.
The winning design will become the official logo for the 2026 Benton County Fair & Rodeo and will be featured on posters, social media, merchandise and other promotional materials.
The selected artist will receive a share of proceeds from commemorative items, along with an “Ultimate Fair Experience” package. Find out more about the contest and winners’ prizes at nape.bentoncountyor.gov/design-rodeo.
Community members can view the finalist designs and cast their vote at benton360.my.canva.site/design-rodeo-2026.
Is this a little hokey, oh yes, in all the best ways.
Greenbelt Trust Lands Matching Funds Opportunity, Here’s how you can help
We’ll confess a reporting bias: we’ve long-term loved what Greenbelt Land Trust does. So, when we learned they would be raising funds at the local Market of Choice through April, we were like, hey, Earth Day happens this month, and they’re a land trust – let’s shamelessly promote this to our readers.
Anyhooo, all through April, like you would expect, you can donate at the cash register.
“We are excited to work with Market of Choice to highlight our work to conserve land and water in the Willamette Valley, and grateful for their support. Greenbelt Land Trust is the local land trust for the mid-Willamette Valley, serving Linn, Benton, Lane, Marion, and Polk counties. We care for 6,200 acres of wetlands, forests, floodplain, and prairie that are permanently protected for conservation. We are actively restoring habitat and increasing access to the outdoors for everyone, and we do it with the support of our members. We appreciate this Earth Month partnership with Market of Choice to shine a light on what we do,” said Matt Benotsch, Greenbelt’s Outreach Manager.
“Market of Choice is supporting local land trusts in each of its communities! Throughout the month of April, customers can donate at the register, and Market of Choice will match donations—up to $5,000 across all stores. The matching funds will be distributed based on the amount each store or region raises,” according to Laura Luthi, a spokesperson for Market of Choice.
Just in case you want to donate land or dollars directly to the Greenbelt Land Trust, you can click here. Shameless on our part to mention it, we know, but we love what we love.
Upcoming blood drives
Also shameless, our regularly shilling for your blood. But as regular readers know, promoting area blood drives is baked into our DNA at The Advocate. It’s not often you can be all sedentary and save a life at the same time – which does have an appeal to it.
Hey, it’s good to give. Grab a spot to donate blood or platelets by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
Here’s three upcoming Corvallis blood drives…
4/8/2026: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Oregon Department of Human Services, 4170 SW Research Way, Suite 120
4/9/2026: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., First Presbyterian Church – Dennis Hall, 114 SW 8th St
4/11/2026: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Grocery Outlet, 1755 NW 9th St Suite 110
By Hallie Greenberg and Mike Suarez
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com