By Garrett Christensen on Friday, October 17th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – The date is set. The Union County Fairgrounds will officially break ground and begin construction on the long-anticipated wastewater project on Friday, November 14. More than just a formality, the groundbreaking will include a special fundraising event to commemorate the milestone.
The public is invited to join county officials, fair board members, and other key members of the project that worked tirelessly for years to gain legislative support and secure funding. The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Union County Fairgrounds and include a ticketed dinner, no-host bar, and dessert auction, with all proceeds going to support fairgrounds improvements.
Again, the event is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Friday, November 14 at the Union County Fairgrounds, Mr. Emily Building, 3604 N 2nd Street, La Grande, OR. Tickets can be purchased online at unioncountyfair.org. For questions, contact fair manager Kathy Gover Shaw at 541-786-3733.
For those unfamiliar with the project, for years leading up to the 2025 legislative session, Union County had been seeking state support to fund the construction of a new, modern, water and septic system. With the funds approved and construction planned, the county is moving forward with the new plumbing and connecting the fairgrounds to the City of La Grande’s water and sewer system. If construction continues as scheduled, the fairgrounds could have new plumbing in time for the 2026 county fair.
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(A stock image was used for this article)