LA GRANDE — The origins of the Eastern Oregon Country Music Festival is the story of one woman, a love of music, a change in management and what was supposed to be a 50th birthday bash.

Amanda Hampton lives in Cove and owns Western Skies Wellness Center — a primary care clinic in Island City. She did not set out with intentions of creating a country music festival, but life has a way of bringing things about.

“I wanted to develop some sort of entertainment for Union County,” she said. “I’ve always loved music.”

Hampton met Randy Woody — of Randy Woody and the Southbound Band — in Texas. The Tennessee-based artist wanted to play more shows out West and Hampton helped book him gigs. She got Woody a number of smaller, but higher paying shows. Eventually, Woody asked Hampton if she would be his manager.

In 2021, Hampton asked the country singer if he would come to Oregon and play at her boyfriend’s 50th birthday party. Woody was excited to do so and even offered to play for free, asking only that the price of the flight be covered.

So Hampton crafted a plan. She reached out to her boyfriend’s friends to see if anyone would be interested in donating to help pay for the flight. The donations poured in and then kept coming. Hampton raised around $14,000 — way more than the amount needed for the airfare.

She wanted to do something more with the money — and the Eastern Oregon Country Music Festival was born.

The inaugural event was held last year at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show Grounds in Union. In spite of poor weather, Hampton said the first year was a big success and an estimated 200 people attended.

After the first festival, Hampton received a lot of interest from other people looking to get involved the following year. This helped the festival grow into a more all-encompassing event, and Hampton is working to ensure it continues to evolve in the coming years.

In addition to a new venue — the Union County Fairgrounds, La Grande — this year the festival also includes the Blue Mountain Ranch Rodeo, a semi-truck contest and a light show. Hampton hopes that the variety of events at the festival will help her reach a larger audience.

“We’ve been able to incorporate three different events into one,” she said.

The 2022 festival will be twice the length of the inaugural event — two days filled with country music performances and fun for the whole family. Hampton applied for grant funding, which stipulated the event was at least two days long. This requirement is part of the reason for the move to the Union County Fairgrounds. According to Hampton, the EOLS committee did not want to host a multi-day event or the rodeo at the fairgrounds.

So far, Hampton said that she has sold more than 290 tickets and 135 VIP passes. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

As if creating a brand-new music festival for the people of Union County was not enough, Hampton also wants to give back to the community. The proceeds from the event will be donated to Veterans Back 40 Adventure — a nonprofit organization led by veterans that aims to provide support and camaraderie to other veterans through outdoor activities, mainly off-road motorcycle riding.

In the future, Hampton wants to donate to additional nonprofits, particularly one that helps children. She would also like to get school districts involved, so that they can raise money at the festival.

It was important to Hampton that the festival was family friendly. Many of the events — like the rodeo and semi-truck contest — are happening earlier in the day. Musical performances start at 6 p.m. — early enough for families with children to enjoy — and continue late into the night on Aug. 26 and 27.

What: Live music, Blue Mountain Ranch Rodeo, a semi-truck contest and a light show

When: Aug. 26-27

Where: Union County Fairgrounds

More: Visit www.eocountrymusicfest.com for details, including performers, schedule and tickets.