EASTERN OREGON TRADE & EVENT CENTER By Emily Olson Fair stretches T its legs at new venue Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center Old Umatilla County fairgrounds Total acreage: 92 Acres used for fair: 56 Animal barns: Three, totaling 81,060 sq. ft. Animal stalls: 586 Exhibitor spots: 100 Paved parking spots: 604 ADA-approved restroom facilities: 3 Total acreage: 21 Acres used for fair: 17.5 Animal barns: Five, totaling 26,187 sq. ft. Animal stalls: 342 Exhibitor spots: 45 Paved parking spots: 0 ADA-approved restroom facilities: 0 EO Media Group he elephant ears, seed- spitting and mutton bustin’ won’t be going anywhere. But organizers expect the move to the Eastern Oregon Trade and Events Center to bring welcome improvements to this year’s Umatilla County Fair. “It’s like moving into a new house,” said Gay Newman, the fair board chairman. “It’s a whole new world for us.” The principal advantage of the new location is space; EOTEC’s central 56-acre grounds will allow for a bigger fair, including fi ve more vendors and seven more car- nival rides. Ease of access will also im- prove, Newman said, citing stroll- er-friendly asphalt paths and ADA-approved bathrooms. The main hall, which will accommo- date commercial vendors and 4-H competitions, will stay cool with air conditioning. Parking, too, will be centralized and simpler, with 604 paved spots and 2,565 over- fl ow spots. All parking will cost $5. A crew of four tractor-pulled wagons will help fairgoers travel from cars to the ticket gates. Newman expects the new lo- cation’s features to contribute to higher weekly attendance than last year’s 82,822. “I think that by next year it will be huge,” Newman said. In this time of transition, there’s bound to be some bumps in the road. One known setback is the lack of trees to provide shade. Newman said they’re waiting to plant until they’ve got a better idea of the fair layout. Plus, plant- ing foliage in the heat of summer would give it less chance of sur- vival, he said. Staff photo by E.J. Harris See EOTEC, C22 EOTEC’s main event center building opened in May 2016, and will host the county fair for the fi rst time in 2017. 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton 333 E. Main St. Hermisto n 1-800-522-0255 Copyright 2017 © EO Media Group East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald | 3