PENDLETON — In the early 1900s, castles and fanciful booths would line Pendleton’s Main Street during the annual Pendleton Street Fair. Businesses would work to one-up each other with intricate booths and offering special sales and promotions.

The Pendleton Street Fair began in 1907, growing and eventually becoming the Umatilla County Fair, until it moved to Hermiston more than a century ago. The event is making what organizers hope will be a triumphant return to Pendleton.

The Pendleton Street Fair begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, on Main Street. The street will be closed to vehicle traffic from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to help ensure the safety of visitors during the festivities.

The revitalization of the street fair began with Shannon Gruenhagen, executive director of Heritage Station Museum and chair of the city of Pendleton’s Historic Preservation Commission.

“I actually found out about it while researching a few of the downtown buildings for another project. I found photos of the fair and became excited about the idea,” she said. “At the time, I was on the board of the PDA and thought it would be a good fit for them, as we had been discussing ways to highlight downtown merchants and how to draw people downtown.”

During the Pendleton Street Fair, vendors of all sorts will set up booths in the middle of Main Street. Organizers have called for vendors, entertainers and volunteers to help make the event happen.

Stephanie Huffman, planning technician for the city of Pendleton, said the event is an exciting opportunity to celebrate Pendleton’s rich history.

“The Pendleton Street Fair exemplifies the power of community collaboration, both in past celebrations for the town’s greater good and in this year’s joint efforts by multiple organizations to promote and celebrate Pendleton,” she said.

From early discussion, the joint project of the Umatilla County Historical Society, the Pendleton Downtown Association, and the city of Pendleton’s Historic Preservation Commission is now a reality. Gruenhagen called the effort “an amazing collaboration.”

“Our downtown is the heart of our town; it is, after all, where Pendleton began,” she said. “I hope that people come down and discover all the wonderful shops that we have and learn about the history of Pendleton as well.”

For more information, search www.pendletondowntown.org/street-fair. For questions or to inquire about volunteer opportunities, email hpc@pendletonor.gov.