Cole Swindell performs on Saturday, July 10, 2021, at the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds for the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest.

PENDLETON — It likely was the largest event Eastern Oregon has seen since the pandemic began.

At least 12,000 people danced and drank the night away Saturday, July 10, at the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds for the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest.

The show drew people from across Oregon and Washington, many seeking their first concert experience in months — or years.

“It’s absolutely great,” said event co-manager Doug Corey. “I know everybody’s excited about it.”

The event set a target of 12,000 attendees.

“We hit our original target,” Corey said.

Grammy-nominated country artist Toby Keith was the headliner, with opening acts from Cole Swindell, Clay Walker, Clare Dunn and DJ Sovern-T. The weekend festivities began July 9 with a pre-concert party that saw thousands dancing in the streets of downtown Pendleton.

The musical festival, however, had long been a question mark, as the state remained under lockdown measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. And a workforce shortage created additional challenges to staffing, including finding security.

But during the past month, Corey said the concert came together in a hurry, with much support from the community.

The Weston-McEwen High School football team laid sod in the Queen’s Barn, and helped clean up Sunday for half a day, and in return, the event managers will make a donation to the team. Church groups helped park cars, the Pendleton High School girls basketball team and FFA students sold Hill Meat hot dogs, and the Class of 2022 Parents poured drinks, each as fundraisers. Corey said in all, perhaps as many as 800 local employees worked the event.

“Everybody’s gotten behind this,” Corey said. “That’s what’s so cool.”

Attendees came wearing cowboy hats and boots, jean shorts, flannels and baseball caps. In the afternoon, they dined on curly fries, hot dogs, tacos and onion rings. The day was oppressively warm, and many concertgoers huddled in whatever shade they could find, including around small tents with misters.

There was no shortage of beverage stations, and as the day wore on, the lines grew longer and crushed beer cans and cups littered the arena.

A mob of people packed in the grass infield near the stage while others filled the surrounding grandstands, stomping, clapping and cheering as the stage lights illuminated the arena.

For many, the show marked a sorely needed return to normalcy. Some said they weren’t even country music fans — they just wanted a reason to be out at concerts again.

Macy Gibbs, who moved to Pendleton in November, said the event allowed her an opportunity to spend time with friends after months where little was going on around town, making it become intertwined in the community.

“It’s amazing to be here with my friends,” she said, “and to meet their friends and families.”

Jamie and Kevin Wunderlich, a couple from Vancouver, said they had earned about the concert three days before. And they had only started listening to Toby Keith in the days leading up to the concert. But they wanted any reason to be out of their house, so they jumped on the opportunity.

“We just wanted to finally get out and do something,” she said.

Tyler Ball, a lifelong Pendleton resident who does tech support for Cayuse Technologies, said, to him, the annual concert tops the Pendleton Round-Up.

“It’s the best thing they ever did,” he said.

Tess O’Leary, a Pendleton resident, said she was in desperate need of an outlet to cut loose after the pandemic year, and she was glad to see people out doing the same.

“For so long, we were just getting by on the necessities,” she said, adding, “It’s good to be around friends we haven’t seen in a while.”

Victoria Gallegos, a Pasco resident, said she was excited to see things getting back to what she loves — concerts. She’s been to so many she can’t count them all. To her, the event showed that life was heading back to normal.

“Music is the universal language,” she said. “It’s what brings us all together.”

And next year, Corey said, the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest looks to bring even more people together with the goal of returning to its capacity to host 19,000-20,000 people.