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
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