MONUMENT — Don’t let its size fool you.

The community of Monument might be small, but when it comes to fun, the folks up there know how to do things big!

Such is the case with Monument’s seventh annual Buckaroo Festival and Harvest Auction, set for Sept. 21, at the town’s senior center, 269 Main St.

Activities include live and silent auctions, drawings, music and of course, the popular salmon and elk dinner — with all the trimmings.

The event begins at noon with a food booth served by local emergency personnel, and bidder registration for the live and silent auctions. Throughout the afternoon, there will be plenty of family-friendly activities to keep everyone entertained — kids games with prizes, rock painting, cornhole and horseshoe contests, music by local artists and more.

Each adult who attends will receive a free ticket for two door prizes — guy and gal-themed baskets, valued at $300 each. Winning names will be drawn at 7 p.m. Winners must be present.

Folks can also buy raffle tickets for four choice items: a chicken-themed full/queen size quilt, handcrafted by Judy Harris; two Dewalt battery-operated saws (one pole, one reciprocating); and $500 toward the gun of your choice from Nydam’s Ace Hardware in John Day. Tickets for the raffle are $1 each or six for $5; winners do not have to be present for the raffle.

The live auction, with more than two dozen prizes at stake, begins at 3 p.m.

Bidders in the silent auction will have more than 50 (and counting!) gift baskets from which to choose. More donations are welcome.

Dinner starts at 4:30 p.m. Prices for the meal are $20 a person, $35 per couple, $7.50 for children ages 6-12 and free for kids under 6. Organizers strived to keep the cost the same as it’s been for the past couple of years.

Oh, and there’s a dessert auction, too.

At 5 p.m., the silent auction closes and the raffle drawings begin.

The event itself is free; people are welcome to attend just for the music, games, drawings and auction. All the proceeds benefit the Monument Senior Center. In addition to offering weekly senior meals, the center serves as the community’s gathering place.

Ellie Lucas, one of the organizers, said last year’s Buckaroo Festival brought in $20,000 for the center, which relies on donations to keep the doors open.

The Buckaroo Festival has a long history as an end-of-season celebration for Monument, but the event faded into memory as the original planners died. It was revived in 2016.

Lucas said she and fellow organizers Brian and Kathy Woodell are excited about visitors checking out the festival and their little community — especially after Monument narrowly escaped destruction from the Boneyard Fire this summer.

“We’re just looking forward to having a fun event and rebuilding our area,” Lucas said.

Monument is on Highway 402 in northwestern Grant County, about 20 miles west of Long Creek and 15 miles east of Kimberly.

For more information, call Lucas at 541-934-2142, Brian Woodell at 541-620-2528 or Kathy Woodell at 541-620- 0924, or search “Monument Buckaroo Festival and Harvest Festival” on Facebook.