8
DECEMBER 15�22, 2021
BEHIND THE SCENES
FROM THE
COVER
Take a tour of lights in Union County
By Lisa Britton
Go! Magazine
L
A GRANDE — Holiday light
displays are popping up
all over Union County, and on
Saturday, Dec. 18, you can join
a guided auto tour that includes
entries in the annual holiday
decorating contest sponsored by
the Union County Chamber.
This is the third year for the
contest. The idea for a guided
caravan came about last year as
a joint project of the Chamber
and La Grande Main Street.
“We had a great turnout —
probably 150 cars,” said Suzan-
nah Moore-Hemann, executive
director of the Chamber, said of
the 2020 tour socially distanced
event. “So we decided to do it
every year.”
Those who want to join the
“Guided Holiday Lights Tour Car-
avan” can line up at the Bi-Mart
parking lot at 6:30 p.m. Saturday
(enter from 20th Street). Orga-
nizers are encouraging everyone
to bring toys and/or nonperish-
GUIDED HOLIDAY LIGHTS TOUR CARAVAN
Join a caravan to see entries in the Union County holiday
lighting contest.
Saturday, Dec. 18
Line up at 6:30 p.m. in the La Grande Bi-Mart parking lot.
Tours start at 7 p.m.
This event is sponsored by the Union County Chamber and
La Grande Main Street.
Maps of all contest entries can be found at www.visitunion-
county.org, on the Chamber’s social media sites, at the Chamber
offi ce (207 Depot St.) and at the caravan.
able food items to donate.
“We’ll make sure it gets dis-
tributed,” Moore-Hemann said.
Everyone is also welcome to
decorate their own cars to add
to the holiday spirit.
“We actually heard from resi-
dents that they loved seeing the
caravan — it was like bringing
the parade to them,” she said.
There will be 10 lead cars this
year, and each will leave Bi-Mart
at 7 p.m.
Participants are welcome to
stay on the tour as long as they
want — there is no formal stop-
ping time.
Although the tour will focus
on La Grande and Island City, the
Chamber publishes a map of all
lighting entries in the county-
wide contest. These maps can
be found on the Chamber’s
social media sites, as well as at
www.visitunioncounty.org, at the
Chamber offi ce (207 Depot St.,
La Grande) and at the caravan on
Dec. 18.
Moore-Hemann said each
year’s lighting contest has drawn
at least 100 entries — and
sometimes more.
“I’m excited — we’ve had a re-
ally good response,” she said.
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
The Union County Chamber and La Grande Main Street will lead a guided
caravan tour on Saturday, Dec. 18, that includes entries in the holiday lighting
contest.
First Friday at Crossroads
Christmas at
Crossroads
2020 Auburn Avenue
Baker City, Oregon
541.523.5369
www.crossroads-arts.org
the gift of art
Exhibition on display Friday, December 3 through Friday, December 30
Crossroads is open
Monday through Saturday
from 10:00am to 5:00pm