AMERICAN INDIAN BEAUTY PAGEANTS

Throughout the rodeo, American Indian girls have the opportunity to show off an array of traditional colorful patterns, dresses and regalia with many of the cultural attire and customs passed down through generations of women. These opportunities will culminate in the yearly Indian Beauty Pageants.

The pageants are split into two sections, with the Junior Indian Beauty Pageant for girls ages 4-13 and the senior pageant for girls aged 14-23. The junior pageant takes place Thursday. Sept. 14. at 10 a.m. and go until 11 a.m. at Roy Raley Park, next to the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds, while the American Indian Beauty Contest takes place at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 15, on Main Street before the Westward Ho! Parade begins.

The pageant goes back to nearly the beginning of Round-Up in the early 1900s. Meanwhile, the junior pageant started in 1962 by Lou Levey, who wanted to give younger girls the opportunity to compete as well.

Judges are selected by the Pendleton Woolen Mills and the top four girls will, in turn, win patterned blankets from the Pendleton Woolen Mills. They also receive a monetary award and will be honored during the American Indian dance and arena parade during Saturday’s rodeo performance.

THE COWBOY BREAKFAST

Pancakes fresh off the grill, steaming ham and sizzling eggs form the foundation of the annual Cowboy Breakfast.

The breakfast is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Pendleton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 922. Meals cost $10 for adults, $5 for children. VFW members serve up the goods from 6-10 a.m., Wednesday through Saturday of Round-Up week at Stillman Park, the corner of Southeast Fourth Street and Byers Avenue. Get there early if you don’t want to wait in line too long.

The breakfast gets busies as the week goes on, serving as many as 2,500 people by Saturday.

GOLDIE’S BAR AT THE CANYON

Following the Happy Canyon Night Show, adults 21 and over can bust a move on the indoor dance floor to a DJ, head outdoors with live music under the stars or try their luck gambling against the Happy Canyon dealers. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

Goldie’s Bar at the Canyon is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the Happy Canyon Arena. Entry fee is $5 or free with a Happy Canyon Night Show ticket. For updates on entertainers and events, follow Goldie’s Bar at the Canyon on Facebook.

NATIVE AMERICAN ARTS AND CRAFTS

Immerse yourself in exquisite jewelry, quill and beadwork, dolls and other items from Northwest and Southwest Native American tribes — plus enjoy Indian fry bread with huckleberry jam.

Roy Raley Memorial Park is the top destination for arts and crafts during Round-Up week. The park is adjacent to the Round-Up Grounds.

ROUND-UP AND HAPPY CANYON HALL OF FAME

The Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame allows visitors to explore and experience the cultural history and days past of one of the world’s largest outdoor rodeos.

The Hall of Fame is near the Round-Up Grounds at 1114 S.W. Court Ave. It includes information about the legendary characters — cowboys, cowgirls and livestock — that took part in the Round-Up through the decades.

Discover artifacts and displays that illuminate past Round-Up and Happy Canyon royalty, residents, champions and more.

The Hall of Fame is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday during Round-Up week. But on Friday, to accommodate the Westward Ho! Parade, the museum opens at noon. For more information, call 541-278-0815 or visit www.pendletonhalloffame.com.

CARNIVAL

A carnival operates in Pendleton starting with “Dollar Per Ride Day” on Tuesday from 6 p.m. to close of Round-Up week. Wednesday will be “Buddy Day” with discounted prices when purchasing two ride bracelets at a time, and runs from noon to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday’s carnival will run from noon to close, while Saturday’s will run from 11 a.m. to close. Closing is determined by the director in regards to traffic in the carnival.

It includes classic rides, games of chance and skill, a carnival and the best of the midway.

The rides will be in the large parking lots near the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce at the intersection of South Main Street and Emigrant Avenue.

Can’t find it? Just head toward the sound of laughing children.

FREE MAIN STREET SHOW

The jolly Main Street Cowboys host the “Greatest Free Show in the West” until midnight starting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday of Round-Up week. The show begins at noon the rest of the week and provides lively family entertainment including vendors, live musicians, dancers and assorted entertainers set up at stages on all four blocks of Main Street in downtown Pendleton.

HERITAGE STATION MUSEUM

The Umatilla County Historical Society’s museum at 108 S.W. Frazer Ave. showcases the region’s heritage. Take a trip through the train depot’s galleries and experience northeast Oregon’s unique blend of tradition and craft. Explore an old train caboose and the one classroom Byrd School. Heritage Station is open during Round-Up week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday but will be closed the remainder of the week. For more information, call the museum at 541-276-0012, or visit their website at www.heritagestationmuseum.org.

PENDLETON CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Housed in Pendleton’s renovated 1916 Carnegie Library building, the Arts Center offers art exhibits, live music, arts education and a gallery for purchasing hand-crafted fine gifts made by regional artists. During Round-Up, the Arts Center is open Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. (but will close during the Westward Ho! Parade on Friday morning). Admission is free.

Call 541-278-9201 or visit www.pendletonarts.org for more information.

PENDLETON UNDERGROUND TOURS

Pendleton Underground Tours welcomes tourists and locals down the stairs and back in time to discover the town’s early history. It includes tours of Pendleton’s bustling economic hub — which includes more than its fair share of illicit enterprises.

The tours begin at the corner of Southwest First Street and Emigrant Avenue, where you’ll step into the speakeasies and opium dens and red light district of Pendleton’s past.

The Pendleton Underground Tours are open every day but Sundays and Tuesdays, with tours beginning at 10 a.m. each day. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 541-276-0730, or visit www.pendletonundergroundtours.org.

PENDLETON WOOLEN MILLS

The original home of Pendleton Woolen Mills is still alive and strong — and making blankets daily. The mill is also home to a small museum, which displays C.M. “Mort” Bishop’s personal collection of American Indian artifacts. Bishop, who died in 2007, was the longtime president of the family-owned company.

Located at 1307 S.E. Court Place, it also features an outlet store and free daily mill tours. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tours of the mill are conducted Monday through Friday mornings at 9 and 11 a.m., and in the afternoon at 1:30 and 3 p.m. For more information call 541-276-6911 or visit www.pendleton-USA.com.