Pendleton musician James Dean Kindle is hosting an album release party for “Trail Mix” on April 6, 2024, at the Pendleton Eagles Lodge. The event begins with western swing dance lessons.

Monthly dance happening March 30 in La Grande

LA GRANDE — The BlueMountaineers monthly dance is Saturday, March 30, 6-9 p.m. at the Union County Senior Center, 1504 N. Albany St.

Admission is $5 or free for ages 12 and younger.

The evening includes a finger food potluck.

Movie night planned for March 28

PRAIRIE CITY — A family movie night featuring “Wild America” is planned for Thursday, March 28, 6:30 p.m. at the Prairie City Community Center. Admission is free, and concessions will be available to purchase.

Art shows close March 29

LA GRANDE — Art Center East will have closing receptions on Friday, March 29, for the two current art shows, “Fiber in Focus: Exploring National Geographic” and “Fiber in Flight: Birds of Eastern Oregon by Christie Lower.”

The reception is 6-8 p.m. at ACE, 1006 Penn Ave.

Raffle tickets for Lower’s original needle felt piece “Flying in Sync — Ruby Throated Hummingbirds” will be available to purchase, with the winner announced after March 30.

Youth Art Fridays start April 5

JOSEPH — Spaces are still open for Youth Art Fridays at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture.

The eight-week session begins April 5 and meets Fridays through May 24. Class time for ages 5-8 is 10:30-11:30 a.m., and ages 8-12 meet from 1-2:30 p.m.

Cost is $60.

The instructor is Mary Ambroson, who has more than 35 years of experience teaching art and music.

Students will look at the art of Laurel Burch, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and other artists, then create a piece depicting the varying type of art.

Pre-registration is required at josephy.org.

Elks Lodge plans craft show April 6

JOHN DAY — The Elks Lodge of John Day, 140 NE Dayton St., will host a craft show on April 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All items will be home-crafted by vendors from John Day and the surrounding area.

The Elks Lodge will have food and drinks available to purchase, and each vendor will donate prizes for a raffle.

Interested vendors can call Deb Stamps, 503-819-6631 or pick up registration forms at the Elks Lodge.

Class on cigar box ukuleles coming to Baker City

BAKER CITY — A workshop to make cigar box ukuleles is planned for April at Churchill School. The four sessions will be April 15, 17 and 19 from 6-8 p.m. and April 20 from 9-11 a.m.

Class size is limited. Register at eventbrite.com. Cost is $145 plus a $30 materials fee.

The class is taught by John Hasher, a musician and maker of instruments. He regularly teaches at Pendleton Center for the Arts.

Shakespeare workshop scheduled for April 6-7

PENDLETON — Grant Turner, of the Elgin Opera House, and College Community Theatre will present a Shakespeare acting workshop on April 6 and 7, 5-8 p.m. both days, at Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St.

Turner will be introducing and breaking down Shakespeare’s verse to equip the actor with the skills needed to perform with confidence and to clearly communicate these 400-year-old plays to a modern-day audience.

Participation in this workshop indicates a strong desire to perform in an outdoor Shakespeare production this summer, presented and produced by CCT. This is a hybrid course for both teens and adults. Cost is $20 for adults and free for teens. Register at pendletonarts.org.

Join ‘Museum After Hours’ on March 28

WALLA WALLA — Fort Walla Walla Museum, 755 NE Myra Road, will present Museum After Hours on Thursday, March 28, featuring Rebecca Hom and a story she calls “No Small Lives.”

Hom is a professional storyteller. She stumbled across a real-life tale of the Ku Klux Klan in John Day while traveling on a tour highlighting the history of Chinese pioneers in the American West. A chance conversation led her to the influence upon the community that Ing Hay and Lung On affected as she researched the Kam Wah Chung mercantile site of John Day. The store is now a museum, a tribute to the Chinese pioneers who ventured into eastern Oregon’s drylands.

Admission is free to Museum After Hours. Her talk starts at 5 p.m.

Looking ahead, the museum’s outdoor Pioneer Village opens April 1 with a month-long scavenger hunt extending into the permanent galleries. “Historically Incorrect” is the name of the game. Entrants hunt for the incongruous items they can spot in exhibits, then turn in their list of items and locations for a prize — if the list is complete.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children ages 5 and under. For more information call 509-525-7703 or visit fwwm.org.

Community African Drumming starts April 2

LA GRANDE — Spring term for Intermediate Community African Drumming (age 12+) runs from April 2 to June 4. The class meets Tuesdays, 6-7 p.m. in Loso Hall (room 123) at Eastern Oregon University.

Students will expand their skills on the djembe — the goblet-shaped drum played with bare hands — as part of this class that is open to participants who already have some African drumming experience.

Drums are provided. Class size is limited. Cost is $45 for current ACE members or $55 for non-members (scholarships are available for ages 18 and younger). Register at artcentereast.org.

Young artists invited to enter poster contest

LA GRANDE — Art Center East is partnering with the Eastern Oregon Climate Change Coalition to sponsor a climate change poster contest. Cash prizes will be awarded for ages 13 to 18, with an additional category for children ages 12 and younger.

Prizes are $500 for first, $300 for second, $200 for third and $50 for honorable mention.

Entries must be submitted before midnight on March 30. To enter, email a digital file to info@artcentereast.org or drop it off at ACE, which is open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, visit artcentereast.org. This contest is supported by Amazon Web Services.

Meet Charlie the Percheron on March 30

BAKER CITY — If you’ve ever wanted to meet a Percheron, this weekend is your chance.

Leia Tyrrell has dreams of racing bicycles at a professional level. But a series of serious injuries, including multiple traumatic brain injuries, made her scale back that goal — although she did still race for a while, including three times in the Baker City Cycling Classic.

But once she truly stopped racing, Tyrrell started working with horses — a passion she’s had since she was a little girl.

In 2022 she purchased Charlie, a gray Percheron, and is now settled in Baker City where she plans to offer horsemanship lessons, which she describes as “the art of being around a horse safely.” She would like other people to know Charlie and is planning a demonstration and meet-and-greet on March 30 at 4 p.m. at the Ruda Ranch, 18060 W. Campbell Loop.

Terrell said this is a chance to meet Charlie and learn more about the horsemanship lessons she will offer.

For information, contact her at 503-933-5459, or follow Charlie the Percheron on Instagram and Facebook.

Solar eclipse, book club and more at the library

HERMISTON — The Hermiston Public Library, 235 E. Gladys Ave., has events for all ages this month, starting on Friday, April 5, with a solar eclipse kid’s program from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Kids will learn about an eclipse and find out how to make a solar viewing box.

Adults should get a start on reading “All That’s Left Unsaid” by Tracey Lien for the April meeting of the Bookminders book club for adults, which meets Tuesday, April 9 at 1:30 p.m. A limited number of copies are available to check out at the front desk.

Another program for adults is “True Crime and Chill Night” on Tuesday, April 16, from 6-7 p.m. Watch a true crime documentary, eat snacks and hang out with like-minded true crime enthusiasts.

The month wraps up with a Glow Paint Night for grades 6-12 on Thursday, April 25, from 6-7 p.m. Teens can explore their artistic creativity with glow-in-the-dark paint.

Plan ahead for spring bazaar

DAYVILLE — A “Spring Has Sprung” bazaar is planned for Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dayville Community Hall. For information, or to sign up for a table, contact Ilah Bennett through Facebook or text her at 541-620-1630.

Spring showcase coming April 26-27

JOHN DAY — The Grant County Farmers Market spring showcase is happening April 26-27 at the Grant County Fairgrounds pavilion. Tables will be provided and cost $30 for an eight-foot table, or $50 for a 10-foot table. The showcase hours will be 3-8 p.m. on Friday, April 26, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. Set up begins at noon on Friday.

To sign up as a vendor, send an email to grantcofarmersmarket@gmail.com.

Gesa Power House shows ‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’

WALLA WALLA — Gesa Power House presents the award-winning romantic comedy-drama “Sometimes I Think About Dying” on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m.

Lost on the dreary Oregon coast, Fran wastes her daylight hours in the solitude of a cubicle, listening to the constant hum of officemates and occasionally daydreaming to pass the time. She is ghosting through life unable to pop her bubble of isolation. And then Robert starts at the company. He is new to town and the dynamics of the office. He is a naturally friendly person who keeps trying to chat with Fran. Though it goes against every fiber of her being, she may have to give this guy a chance.

Director Rachel Lambert and team craft beautiful cinema for this story of love for the socially awkward and emotionally challenged. The film cast features Walla Walla’s Rich Hinz, along with lead actor Dave Merheje and lead actor-producer Daisy Ridley.

Reserved seating tickets are $15 ($10 for students) and are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.

Big game banquet planned for April 20

JOHN DAY — The John Day chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will have a big game banquet on Saturday, April 20, at the Grant County Fairgrounds, 411 NW Bridge St.

Tickets are $75 per person, $115 per couple or $15 for a youth meal. The adult prices include dinner and a supporting membership. Other options for support, including raffle tickets, can be found at events.rmef.org/shop/johnday1.

Album release party swings into Pendleton

PENDLETON — James Dean Kindle invites everyone to an album release party for “Trail Mix” on Saturday, April 6, at the Pendleton Eagles Lodge, 428 S. Main St.

Come early to participate in western swing dance lessons, which begin at 6 p.m. The music starts at 7 p.m. and also features guest performers Wes Youssi, Thomas Paul, Mike Vasquez, Adam Lange, Carl Scheeler and more.

A singer-songwriter, Kindle was born and raised in Pendleton. In addition to performing as a solo artist, he is the frontman for James Dean Kindle and the Eastern Oregon Playboys, and James Dean Kindle and His Country Combo, and has performed as a member of the Baker City noise-collective Swäwm Pass.

Advance tickets are $10 via bit.ly/4cp0UiS. Tickets sold at the door are $15.

Hermiston hosts tree giveaway

HERMISTON — The annual Arbor Day tree giveaway is April 6, 9-10 a.m. in the parking lot at the Hermiston Community Center, 415 S. Highway 395

A drive-thru event, people are asked to enter behind the building via Southeast Third Street. The event is hosted by Hermiston Parks and Recreation and the Rotary Club of Hermiston.

People can conduct research and learn about the seedlings available — red maple, Allegheny serviceberry, blackberry, Bradford pear, European mountain ash and Japanese zelkova. Availability is based on supplies on hand. For questions, call 541-667-5018.

Tune up with Dueling Pianos in Umatilla

UMATILLA — Rock Dee House is returning with Dueling Pianos in Umatilla.

Don’t wait to buy tickets — organizers expect the show will sell out. The event is April 18, 6 p.m. at The Bridge Bistro & Brews, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla. Tickets are $30 each.

Reservations are required. For more information, call 541-922-4112.

Soup’s on at Methodist church

HERMISTON — A warm bowl of soup will be served each Wednesday at the Hermiston First United Methodist Church, 191 E. Gladys Ave.

The doors open at 11 a.m. for conversation, food and an opportunity to meet someone new. In addition to soup, the menu includes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dessert and a beverage.

For more information, search www.facebook.com/HermistonFUMC or call 541-567-3002.