Grande Ronde Rodeo canceled due to Smoke

By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, July 29th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

UNION – A heads up for regional rodeo fans, the 2026 Grande Ronde Rodeo, initially scheduled for August 7-8, 2026, at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show grounds, has officially been canceled due to the current wildfire situation. Yesterday, rodeo organizers announced on social media that a combination of poor air quality, friends and family of rodeo participants actively being involved in firefighting, and the likelihood of a fire camp being established at the grounds were the reasons for the decision.

The rodeo’s full statement is as follows:

“After much consideration we have decided to cancel our 2026 event. The fires raging in Oregon and Idaho have caused the air quality to deteriorate dangerously, many of our family and friends are busy fighting to save homes and livelihoods and under current conditions a fire camp is likely. We apologize to everyone and we hope to be back in 2027 bigger and better then ever. Pray for rain and relief for everyone involved with the fires.”