Union County Historical Society skips May meeting, La Grande Mother’s Day brunch set
Fairgrounds construction has knocked out power to the Union County Historical Society’s log cabin, pushing its May meeting to June 13. A Queen Charlotte-themed Mother’s Day brunch is also set for La Grande.
Construction at the Union County Fairgrounds has temporarily sidelined one of La Grande’s long-running civic gatherings. The Union County Historical Society will skip its monthly May meeting because work on the grounds has left the log cabin without electricity.
The pause is tied to a larger water and wastewater infrastructure upgrade at the fairgrounds. Project work was anticipated to begin in February 2026 and continue through July 2026, with the campground closed starting March 9 and facility rentals expected to be intermittently interrupted through the season. Fairgrounds officials have said all buildings on the grounds will be affected except the Mt. Fanny Building and the Exhibit Hall. The disruption lands at a site that serves not only as the home of the annual Union County Fair, but also as Union County’s resiliency hub and temporary evacuation center during emergencies such as wildfires or power outages.
The historical society’s stop is temporary. Monthly meetings are set to resume June 13 at noon, when Patty Gooderham will share stories and history about Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort. A previous listing said the talk would include the early days of ski patrol, skiing in the Elkhorn Mountains and the effort to keep the road plowed with Champ Bond’s rotary snowplow, giving the meeting a strong local history angle when it returns.
The log cabin itself is part of that history. It was sponsored and built by historical society members with help from local businesses, organizations and volunteers after the society’s executive board voted in August 1969 to begin planning it. The cabin’s current loss of power underscores how closely the society’s calendar is still tied to conditions at the fairgrounds.
La Grande families also have a Mother’s Day option on the calendar. Le Bebe Cakes Bakery is hosting Tea with the Ton Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday, May 10, at 12:30 p.m. at 1101 Washington Ave. The Regency-themed brunch will feature Queen Charlotte styling, parlor games, light ballroom dancing, door prizes and a special gift for every mother in attendance. With the brunch ahead and the historical society returning in June, La Grande’s spring schedule is filling quickly.
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