The Pendleton Roundup may be one of Oregon’s signature events, but it is not the only major cultural event in Umatilla County.

The Happy Canyon Foundation partners with Pendleton Roundup for events before, during and after the mid-September rodeo, including its iconic pageant, The Happy Canyon Night Show, which premiered 1914. The show incorporates the Roundup’s Wild West theme, but also pays tribute to the Native American heritage and traditions of the region.

The Happy Canyon Foundation is a first-time grantee of the Cultural Trust, and Happy Canyon Board Member Corey Neistadt of Pendleton could not be more pleased. “The grant means the Cultural Trust recognizes the cultural significance of Happy Canyon, the presentation of Native American way of life and how Pendleton was settled,” he said. The Foundation Board hopes to begin construction after September of next year, with a July 2015 completion date. This year, the organization is “mobilizing contractors and getting everything here and ready,” said Neistad. That includes buying such materials as steel for the grandstand mezzanine and elevator components. “It’s an exciting time,” Neistadt said.

Four Trust grants, totalling $50,851, were awarded to Eastern Oregon nonprofits, including another first-time grant to the Rivoli Theater Restoration Coalition.

In addition to restoration and economic development, outreach and education emerged as themes of this year’s grantmaking, with programs like ArtZoom, free art classes delivered regionally by Skype, continuing at the Pendleton Arts Center.

Read more about some of these Trust funded project in Your Dollars at Work.  

Trust Manager Kimberly Howard, who attended Roundup for the first time in 2012, is excited to be working with new and established groups. She will be speaking at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce tomorrow (October 16) at noon in the Roy Raley room of the Roundup Fairgrounds. Said Howard, ”Pendleton is one of those places in Oregon that is just brimming with history, creativity and economic vitality. When you’re there for Round-Up you see the transformation of storefronts through the volunteerism of the Main Street Cowboys. During the rest of the year, the arts and cultural organizations keep the energy going partnering with the Farmer’s Market in the summer, for example. I always love my visits to this vast part of the state.”