HeyOregon

08/25/2026

REAL, REAL, FAKE
Two of these Oregon events are really happening this week.

One of them we completely made up.

Which one’s FAKE? A, B or C? Comment below to enter👇

(Guess the correct one and be entered into a random drawing for a $25 NoBe gift certificate. Drawing held on Friday.)

A • Sidewalk Chalk Championship - La Grande: August 29th (10am-1pm) Free
Sidewalk chalk usually disappears with the next rain, but for a few hours in downtown La Grande, it gets competitive. Artists of all ages will be given a patch of pavement and a box of chalk to create their masterpiece, with prizes awarded in several age groups. No experience required, although showing up with strong opinions about sidewalk art probably won’t hurt. Just remember, stepping on someone else’s masterpiece is considered poor form.

B • Mary Shelley Birthday Party - Medford: August 29th (2-4pm) Free�
Celebrate the 229th birthday of science-fiction pioneer Mary Shelley with spooky treats and a screening of the 1994 film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, starring Kenneth Branagh, Robert De Niro, and Helena Bonham Carter. Guests are encouraged to wear Shelley- or Frankenstein-inspired attire, so this is finally the correct occasion for that dramatic black cape. The film is rated R for horrific images, presumably beyond Kenneth Branagh’s magnificent hair.

C • Robots Across Oregon - Pendleton: August 29th (11am-3pm) Free
Students in grades 4–8 can spend the afternoon building and programming LEGO SPIKE Prime robots with the Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program. Lunch is included at no cost, and no previous robotics experience is required. Space is limited, advance registration is required, and an adult must remain on-site with each student, presumably to keep the robot uprising properly supervised.

08/23/2026

Oh yeah.. Not just ramen but house made noodles & Dashi!

08/19/2026

REAL. REAL. FAKE.

Two of these Oregon events are really happening this week.

One of them we completely made up.

Which one’s FAKE? A, B or C? 👇

A • Hat Burning Workshop - Bend: August 20th (5:30-8pm) $$$
Here’s something you probably haven’t tried on a Thursday night. Freckles Creative Club will walk you through designing and burning your own premium vegan suede hat, from first sketch to finished product. Keep the design simple or get ambitious and create something truly epic. Either way, you’ll leave with a sweet new hat and the ability to casually tell people, “Yeah, I burned it myself.”

B • High Desert Rock Hounding Social - Prineville: August 22nd (9am-Noon) Free
Bring a bucket, a pair of gloves, and your best guess about what you just picked up. Local rockhounds will gather outside Prineville for a morning of searching for agates, jasper, and other Central Oregon treasures. Beginners are welcome, and experienced collectors will be on hand to help identify your finds. Basically, it’s a treasure hunt where getting excited about a really nice rock is completely acceptable.

C • MelonFest - Hermiston: August 22nd (9am-2pm) Free
Hermiston knows a thing or two about watermelons, so naturally they gave them their own festival. MelonFest celebrates the region’s famously sweet crop with a morning of community fun and plenty of watermelon taking center stage. Come hungry, embrace the sticky fingers, and enjoy one of eastern Oregon’s tastiest claims to fame. Somewhere along the way, seed-spitting became socially acceptable. Take advantage of it.

Comment A, B, or C below!

Thanks for playing 😊

08/02/2026

How many County Fairs are happening around the state this week?
The answer is in this morning’s newsletter.

A handful of things actually worth your time around Oregon. Click to read Hey! Oregon, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.

07/29/2026

Your weekly Oregon planner

07/29/2026

Ever hear about a great Oregon event…

…the day after it happened?

Yeah.
We got tired of that too.

That’s why Hey! Oregon shows up in your inbox every Sunday morning.

Free.

07/26/2026

Links in Comments

07/24/2026