ENTERPRISE — The 20th annual Woodlands & Watersheds Festival will be held at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds in Enterprise on Friday, June 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Since its inception, the festival has been a free, family-focused event that celebrates Wallowa County’s treasured natural and cultural resources, according to a press release.

Every year a variety of local and regional exhibitors featuring educational activities gather together to share about their organizations and work in the county, including Building Healthy Families, Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries, Fishtrap, Grande Ronde Model Watershed, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Wallowa County Weed Control and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

The first festival was held in 2005 as a means to foster connection within the community. The need for such an event was identified by early Wallowa Resources staff members and Penny Arentsen, the first youth education coordinator.

“A big goal of the festival from the outset was to have people of all ages, but especially kids, know what natural resources we have here and cultural resources, and also get people together to network with different agencies and organizations,” Arentsen said. “It’s a moment to collaborate.”

The inaugural Watershed Festival had approximately a dozen exhibitors and 150 people in attendance. Over the years the festival has continued to evolve and has previously included birdhouse building, avian ambassadors from Blue Mountain Wildlife of Pendleton, cowboy poetry, baking and photo contests, an FFA petting zoo, and even a natural resources-themed film festival at the OK Theater.

The core elements, however, have remained the same with music organized by the Wallowa Valley Music Alliance, hands-on activities with local organizations, and the aim of fostering a sense of community with the people and the land.

In 2017, Wallowa Resources combined efforts with Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center to bring the newly named Woodlands & Watersheds Festival to the community. In 2023 the Nez Perce Tribe and Wallowa Valley Music Alliance joined as official partners.

This year, the festival anticipates up to 700 attendees and is hosting more than 40 organizations, live blacksmith demonstrations, a free hot dog barbecue for kids, and a scavenger hunt searching out Wallowa County facts for a prize.

A highlight of the festival is a full day of live music, including performances by Buffalo Kin, Jezebel’s Mother, Local Yokels, and a special presentation from the Nez Perce Tribal Drum Group, Waah-qaqun Drum. It also includes a fundraising lunch offered by the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center featuring a Dutch-oven cooked pork butt or chicken quarter entree along with American picnic potato salad and Greek greens salad as sides.

“The intention of the Woodlands and Watersheds Festival has always been to create a sense of place for the youth in our community,” said Avery Stanton, Wallowa Resources communications manager.