As traditional housing becomes more expensive and people want more flexible and environmentally friendly living, tiny homes are experiencing a growth spurt. Northwesterners can see for themselves that living tiny can mean living comfortably at TinyFest Northwest. This popular, national tiny house festival will take place Aug. 17-18 at the Polk County Fairgroundsin Rickreall, just west of Salem, Oregon.
Featured will be Tiny House filmmaking celebrities, Alexis Stephens and Christian Parsons. They are the co-founders of Tiny House Expedition, filmmakers, DIY tiny house dwellers, and advocates. Their work includes the acclaimed educational docu-series, Living Tiny Legally. They have the world’s most traveled tiny house on wheels, with over 54,000 miles across North America.
Also speaking will be Bob Wells, who after a series of unfortunate events found himself living in a van. Surprising he liked the lifestyle and started a website named cheaprvliving.com. As his life improved he sought to support others who were either forced or chose to live in their vehicles through his nonprofit Homes On Wheels Alliance. He will speak on the joy of living tiny and traveling anywhere at any time you want. He hosts the ever-popular Rubber Tramp Rendezvous each January, which attracts over 10,000 to the desert each year.
According to TinyLife.com, a tiny home is defined as a house consisting of 100 to 400 sq. ft. Affordable, mobile, minimalist, and environmentally friendly, tiny homes come in all shapes and sizes. They can be a classic small house, a converted school bus, a trailer, and everything in between.
Event organizer and tiny home dweller, Renee McLaughlin, holds similar events in California and the Midwest. She said the festival offers an opportunity to explore tiny homes and understand the attraction. The event will be complete with tiny homes to tour, vendors, workshops, speakers, live music and food.
“There are so many reasons to go tiny,” said McLaughlin. “Sometimes it's financial or a desire to have a smaller carbon footprint. A lot of people want to get rid of the stuff that they have and focus more on relationships and experiences.” TinyFest Northwest is a great way to meet like-minded people or get an insight into the tiny home lifestyle, she added.
A symposium for Oregon policymakers to discuss Tiny Living Legally will be held Aug. 16 from 1-3:30 to understand current laws that affect tiny houses. Register for this symposium by emailing symposium@tinyfest.events
Advance tickets are $10 ($20/two-day passes) with online and military discounts; $15 at the door. Children under 12 and volunteers are free. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance visitwww.TinyFest.events.
