By P.M. Kendrick
Red or yellow fire hydrants can be found just about everywhere, except in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon.
“I remember the painted fireplugs from my childhood and how much we all enjoyed them,” says Craig Stover of Stovepipe Antiques in Grants Pass, recalling fire hydrants painted as nutcrackers in the 1960s in South Bend, Indiana. Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce took this concept and developed Plugfest.
Thus, local artists took the challenge, decorating 35 fire hydrants with a variety of designs. Members of the chamber, artists, merchants, citizens, and local schools were
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instrumental in fund-raising, promotion, and implementation of the unique project, motivating the artists with cash awards and contributions to the art departments of participating schools.
Now, the pleasantly surprised viewer can find a plug on almost every block. Strolling past a white plug dotted with black spots one might think: dalmation, firehouse dog, fireplug. A closer look reveals one spot is the shape of a man paddling a boat; three salmon are swimming; another is the caveman figure that stands beside the visitor information and chamber of commerce building. This plug is not what it seems at first glance.
A flirty, mustachioed fireman smiles as he peers from under his helmet, the top of another hydrant. There is no mistaking him, as his costume |
 and gear are most fitting for a fire hydrant.
Plump quail, blackberry brambles with blossoms and berries providing cover, decorate a pale green plug. A sassy squirrel looks up from among fall foliage on another plug. Flowers abound in Grants Pass, both wild and planted in every nook and corner, so it’s no surprise that flowers were the choice of several artists—poppies, iris, daisies, and more. Several plugs wear red, white, and blue in patriotic designs.
Walking Grants Pass downtown area is the best way to enjoy Plugfest. Maps of plug locations are available at the Old Town Welcome Center on G and Sixth streets. (800-547-5927; www.visitgrantspass.org)
Northwest Travel Magazines March/April 2007 |
