CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE SOME FUN AT THESE ANNUAL FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS.
Morrow County’s small towns embrace the meaning of celebration. Whether you are simply passing through or are planning on taking part in one of the area’s many events, you will leave with lasting memories.
WEE BIT O’IRELAND
Always held the weekend closest to St. Patrick’s Day, this Heppner event celebrates the Irish community. The event starts and ends with the Sheep Dog Trials. Find entertainment and activities for the whole family such as the Irish Coffee Hour, Great Green Parade, the welly toss and Cruz-In. You may not be Irish when you come, but you’ll be Irish when you leave!
4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
Celebrations kick off in Boardman with a pancake breakfast and hometown parade. Enjoy a day of entertainment at the Boardman Marina that ends with fireworks over the Columbia River. In Ione, celebrations take place at the Ione city park and amphitheater.
Start with the Fireman’s breakfast, enjoy events all day, then watch the great firework display, visible throughout Ione.
WATERMELON FESTIVAL
The Irrigon Watermelon Festival is an annual celebration held at the Irrigon Marina the last weekend in July. The all-day festival consists of a breakfast, parade, games, live entertainment, classic car show, and craft and food vendors, alongside plenty of watermelons. Cap off the evening with your best dance moves at the street dance.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
The annual Morrow County Harvest Festival occurs in early October. Vendors sell locally made food, crafts and clothing. Free activities include mule drawn wagon rides, pumpkin painting and a photo booth. Live music as well as a beer and wine garden are an added attraction for adults. It’s a beautiful fall event for the whole family, held at the SAGE Center in Boardman and co-hosted by the Boardman Chamber.
BLUE MOUNTAIN CENTURY SCENIC BIKEWAY RIDE
In Oregon’s Rugged Country, the landscape changes quickly, from rolling hills of the Umatilla National Forest to wide fields of wheat. See it all by bike on the annual summertime group ride the Blue Mountain Century Scenic Bikeway. Sponsored by the Heppner Chamber, it follows a section of the Oregon Trail, beginning and ending in Heppner and winding through both Umatilla and Morrow counties, including the half-way point Ukiah. The loop will challenge cyclists and lead to stunning views of the region.
