Oregon Humanities presents screening with author Casey Parks

LA GRANDE — On Oct. 11, Oregon Humanities will present a live screening of an onstage conversation with Casey Parks, journalist and author of “Diary of a Misfit,” on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at HQ, 112 Depot St.

The event will begin at 7 p.m., and admission is free.

In conversation with Adam Davis, Parks will explore how attitudes about gender and sexuality affect where people seem to fit in, where these attitudes come from, and how they might change.

A longtime reporter for the Oregonian, Casey Parks now covers gender and family issues for the Washington Post, where she has written about abortion access, Texas’ investigation of parents of trans kids, and the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. In her 2022 book, “Diary of a Misfit,” Parks relates her own story of coming out in a rural Louisiana town and her efforts to uncover the story of Roy Hudgins, a small-town singer who, like Parks, didn’t conform to the expectations of his community.

This presentation is made possible with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ United We Stand initiative, as well as support from the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Susan Hammer Fund of Oregon Community Foundation.

For more information, visit oregonhumanities.org.

Take a tour of Olney Cemetery Oct. 5-7

PENDLETON — The annual tour of Olney Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Pendleton, is happening Oct. 5, 6 and 7, from 4-8 p.m. each day. No registration is required.

The “Quiet Neighbors” tour begins every 30 minutes, and actors will bring Pendleton’s past residents to life. The walk is about one mile. There are no restrooms on site.

Warm cider will be available for free, and 3rd Generation BBQ will be on site Thursday and Friday. Also, the Pendleton Mobile Library will offer books of regional interest that will be available to check out.

“Quiet Neighbors” is a joint project of the Pendleton Public Library, Olney Cemetery and the Umatilla County Historical Society.

Cider pressing and more at Pete’s Pond

LA GRANDE — The Blue Mountains Conservancy will have a cider pressing party on Sunday, Oct. 8, 3-5 p.m. at Pete’s Pond, 913 Miller Dr. The event will feature fresh pressed apple cider, live music, a raffle, art and science activities, a youth art show and a tour of the pond.

This is a fundraiser to support the Blue Mountains Conservancy mission to plant native trees and shrubs at Pete’s Pond. For more information, visit bluemountainsconservancy.org or check the Facebook page.

Barley Brown’s partners with Oregon Agricultural Trust

BAKER CITY — Barley Brown’s has brewed a special beer for Cheers to the Land, a campaign of the Oregon Agricultural Trust that is a collaborative effort with Oregon’s breweries, cideries, farmers to permanently protect Oregon farmland from development.

OAT will hold a special event on Friday, Oct. 6, 5-8 p.m. at Barley Brown’s, 2190 Main St., to release the special IPA created with Oregon-grown Gold Rush Malt and Oregon hops.

This year’s campaign features 17 breweries and cideries across Oregon. All participating locations will serve their specially crafted Cheers to the Land beverages in their respective taprooms by Oct. 10, and nine of the beers will be released in limited edition 16-ounce cans with unique Cheers to the Land artwork.

OAT has planned 11 events across the state in October and November, including tap takeovers, pub crawls, meet and greets, and beer releases. For information, visit cheerstotheland.com.

Harvest yard sale happening soon

JOSEPH — The Hurricane Creek Grange’s 13th annual harvest indoor yard sale is happening Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6 and 7, at the grange at the intersection of Hurricane Creek Road and Airport Lane, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sale items include vintage household collectables, dog supplies, handcrafted specialties and more. The kitchen will be open both days. Friday breakfast features caramel nut rolls. Lunch includes hamburgers, reuben sandwiches, potato salad and pies.

Harvest festival, chili cook-off is Oct. 7

LA GRANDE — Celebrate the harvest and put your best chili to the taste test at the inaugural Community Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 7, in La Grande.

The festival portion is sponsored by La Grande Main Street Downtown and is located in the downtown area. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by the chili cook-off judging at 4:30 p.m. and a street dance from 6-10 p.m.

The day features a kids zone, food, vehicles (police, ambulance, fire, etc.), games, cornhole tournament, soap box derby and more. Participating groups include multiple service clubs, community groups and businesses.

The chili cook-off, organized by the Union County Chamber of Commerce, will run from noon to 6 p.m. in the covered area just north of Benchwarmers Pub & Grill, 210 Depot St. in La Grande. Competitors will bring everything they need to cook up their favorite pot of chili. For more information, email info@visitunioncounty.org. Also, updates are posted on Facebook.

Visit the Urban Fall Fest on Oct. 7

ISLAND CITY — The Island City Market’s Urban Vine, 10107 W. First St., will open its Barrel and Vineyard rooms to host the second-annual Urban Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vendor booth space costs between $30 and $40 depending on the floor space the vendor wants. Pre-registration is required by calling Kathleen Williams at 541-910-5591.

To date, Williams has hosted a 2022 fall fest and a spring fest 2023. People were eager for more, she said. As long as there is interest, she said she will continue to host the bazaars each spring and fall.

Taste of Baker happening Oct. 7 on Main Street

BAKER CITY — Get ready to tempt your taste buds with Baker City Downtown’s Taste of Baker on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 4-7 p.m. in downtown Baker City.

Main Street will be closed and food vendors will offer sample-size dishes that are purchased with tokens. They are available in advance in Baker City at Ryder Bros., The Sycamore Tree and Charley’s Deli, or in La Grande at Elkhorn Media Group, through 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. Pre-sale tokens are sold, for cash only, in batches of 20 for $25 or 100 for $125.

On Saturday, tokens will be sold outside Ryder Bros., The Sycamore Tree and U.S. Bank from 4-7 p.m. Cash or cards will be accepted, and tokens can be purchased in any amount — $1.25 each, 20 for $25 or 100 for $125.

In addition to the food offerings, the evening will feature live music thanks to the Powder River Music Revue. For updates, visit the Baker City Downtown page on Facebook.

Cook Memorial Library plans October events

LA GRANDE — Cook Memorial Library, 2006 Fourth St., will host a Dungeons & Dragons and gaming group on Oct. 12 and 26 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. This free activity is open to all ages. For information, contact Ryan at the library at 541-962-1339.

Later in the month, a new book club for adults called “Spells and Stars” meets Saturday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. The book club will focus on fantasy and science fiction titles. The first book up for discussion is “Practical Magic” by Alice Hoffman. Email Rose at rpeacock@cityoflagrande.org to register.

The library’s first local author forum is set for Saturday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. Nearly a dozen local authors will gather to speak about and read from their works.

All library activities are free. For details, visit CookMemorialLibrary.org, follow the library’s social media pages, or call 541-962-1339.

Author visits happening this weekend

LA GRANDE, BAKER CITY — Author Pearl Whitfield will read from her Kirkus Star reviewed book “Apsara” at two locations this weekend: Thursday, Oct. 5, 6:30 p.m. at Cook Memorial Library in La Grande, and then Friday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m. at Betty’s Books in Baker City.

A work of historical fiction set in 12th century Cambodia, “Apsara” was inspired by an experience Whitfield had at the museum in Siem Reap. Whitfield is the pen name of Lakeview County native Margot Dodds. Dodds’ first book is “The Storekeeper: a Tale of Small Town Life,” set in a rural town in the contemporary American West.

On Saturday, Oct. 7, Cook Memorial Library will welcome author Mark Yaconelli at 1 p.m. for his interactive book talk, “How Stories Can Save Us,” the companion to his latest book, “Between the Listening and the Telling.”

‘Rock the Locks’ in Umatilla

UMATILLA — A three-day music festival that features multiple bands from multiple decades alongside food and merchandise vendors is coming to Umatilla Oct. 6-8 at Big River Golf Course.

“Rock the Locks” headliners are Collective Soul on Friday, ZZ Top on Saturday and Night Ranger on Sunday. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day, and the music starts at noon.

Rock the Locks is organized by the city of Umatilla and its Parks and Recreation Department.

Ticket prices are $239 for three-day admission, $99 for Friday general admission, $109 for Saturday general admission, $99 for Sunday general admission or $499 for the three-day VIP ticket. Admission for children 10 and under is free with purchase of an adult general admission ticket; however, everyone in the VIP ticket area must be 21 or older.

The festival is a cashless event, and fastbar wristbands can be registered ahead of time or on site. Specific times for each act is available at www.rockthelocks.org.

Echo Corn Maze adds movie nights

ECHO — The Echo Corn Maze, 300 N. Dupont St., has added movie nights this season on three Fridays: Oct. 6 (“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”), Oct. 13 (“Coco”) and Oct. 20 (“Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins”).

Movies start at 7 p.m. and are included with general admission. Admission is reduced to $5 from 2-6 p.m. Food and beverages will be available to purchase. After 6 p.m. admission is $10. Bring chairs or blankets to be comfy during the show, which will be near the maze.

Another special event in the maze — “find the beer and wine” — is happening Saturday, Oct. 7, from 2-6 p.m. Admission is $12, plus $5 for beer or wine. Food will also be available purchase — bring cash. Tickets include all general admission features, including the corn maze, mini maze, straw bale maze, tunnel maze, hay bale pyramid, corn crib and photo station.

The corn maze is open Fridays from 2-10 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday is reserved for school field trips and group visits. For more information on special events, hours, closures and activities, visit the Instagram page or website, echocornmaze.com.

Yard sales coming up in Hermiston

HERMISTON — For all kinds of treasures, people can shop at a pair of upcoming yard sales in Hermiston.

Back by popular demand, Hermiston Emblem Club No. 215 is holding a fall yard sale Saturday, Oct. 7, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2225 NW Geer Road. All proceeds will help support local charities and the Emblem Club Scholarship program. For questions, call Teresa Moncrief at 541-561-2494.

And the following weekend, Hermiston Parks & Recreation is hosting a Community Yard Sale in the parking lot at the Hermiston Community Center. It is Friday, Oct. 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 415 S. Highway 395. For more information, visit bit.ly/hermistonrecreation or call 541-667-5018.

Irrigon church hosts gospel concert

IRRIGON — A faith-based concert in Irrigon will feature bluegrass, gospel favorites and original tunes by a Walla Walla-based group.

Hand Picked, who have released four CDs, will perform Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. at the Irrigon Seventh-day Adventist Church, 205 Tumbleweed Blvd. A freewill offering will be taken. Also, visitors are invited to enjoy lunch after the concert.

For more about Hand Picked, search www.hand-picked.com. For questions, call the church at 541-922-3895.

Marketplace offers Native American creations

MISSION — The Indigenous Marketplace returns for a second year in the Rivers Event Center at Wildhorse Resort & Casino, off Interstate 84, exit 216.

It features one-of-a-kind items, crafts, jewelry and unique gifts created by Native American artists.

The event kicks off Friday, Oct. 6, noon to 6 p.m. and continues Saturday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no admission charge.

For more information, search www.wildhorseresort.com/entertainment/events. For questions, call 800-654-9453.

Last chance to see ‘Tarzan’

ELGIN — The Elgin Opera House presents a final weekend of “Tarzan” on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6 and 7.

Friday’s show is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday features two performances, 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.elginoperahouse.com.

Grande Ronde Symphony gala kicks off season

LA GRANDE — The Grande Ronde Symphony Association is celebrating the 76th year of the orchestra with a gala event titled “Tis the Season” on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Presbyterian Friendship Center, 1204 Spring Ave.

The evening includes food, a silent auction and live jazz beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the gala are $40 and must be purchased in advance, by Oct. 14, at GrandeRondeSymphony.org.

Looking ahead, the 2023-24 symphony season includes these concerts:

• Nov. 15: GRS Orchestra, La Grande, McKenzie Theatre at Eastern Oregon University
• Nov. 18: GRS Orchestra, Baker City, St. Francis de Sales Cathedral
• March 13: La Grande, McKenzie Theatre at EOU
• May 29: La Grande, McKenzie Theatre at EOU

Passes are available for the season, which begins with the Nov. 15 concert. Passes are $38 adults, $30 seniors or $1 for students.

Tickets at the door of each concert are $15 adults, $12 seniors, $5 college students or $1 students. Also, special pricing is available for families and groups — for information, send an email to grsymphony2@gmail.com and ask about Grace Notes.