Union County fairgrounds hit milestone with first new bathrooms installed

The first new bathrooms are now installed at the Union County Fairgrounds, giving county leaders a visible sign that a long-delayed utility rebuild is finally moving from demolition into public use. For fairgoers, vendors and event organizers, the upgrade matters immediately: the fairgrounds have spent years relying on temporary toilets after the original septic system began failing more than 20 years ago and the bathrooms became completely non-operable about a decade ago.

The bathroom work is part of a broader renovation financed by $2,539,405 in lottery bond funding authorized when Gov. Tina Kotek signed House Bill 5006 and Senate Bill 5531 on Aug. 7, 2025. The project broke ground on Nov. 14, 2025, after years of advocacy from lawmakers and county officials who argued the fairgrounds needed a full water and wastewater rebuild to connect with City of La Grande service.

County officials have said the construction is being staged through the spring and summer of 2026, with the campground closed beginning March 9 to make room for the next phase. Crews from Mike Becker Construction, Action Plumbing and other local contractors have been installing indoor and outdoor bathrooms, shower facilities and new plumbing tied to La Grande water and septic service. Volunteer demolition work inside the bathrooms saved the county an estimated $40,000, a small but meaningful offset in a project built on public dollars and years of deferred maintenance.

The work is also reshaping the rest of the grounds. Crews have torn up old asphalt paths, dug trenches and begun burying overhead electrical lines, with Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative joining the effort as poles came down and wires went in. During digging, workers also ran into large concrete slabs and old logs from the site’s earlier life as an old mill, a reminder of how much hidden infrastructure sits beneath the fairgrounds.

Commissioner Matt Scarfo said at the groundbreaking that he was excited, relieved and eager to see the project completed. He later said he wanted to see it finished and added, “I can’t wait for the fair next year and the ribbon cutting.” Former Commissioner Donna Beverage called the project “a milestone and a blessing,” while Rep. Bobby Levy said “persistence paid off.” County leaders still hope the work will be finished in time for the 2026 Union County Fair, and the first new bathrooms suggest that target is within reach.