ECHO — Catch some extra rays as the Echo Heritage Association hosts its inaugural Summer Solstice Party Saturday, June 21, 4-9:30 p.m. at Echo Ridge Cellars, 551 N. Thielson St.

Tickets for the all-ages celebration are $25, which includes $15 in redeemable event tokens. Proceeds will support the St. Peter’s Catholic Church restoration project and fund scholarships for Echo High School graduates.

After eight successful years, Treasurer Michael Duffy said the party replaces Echo Oktoberfest. The change, he said, eliminates the pressure of hosting a large fall event during the grape harvest.

The party’s food vendors include Taco Xavi, Midway Catering Services, Ye Olde Pizza Shoppe and the Polynesian Grill. Echo Ridge will offer a variety of wines and Neighbor Dudes will provide craft brews. The event includes a dessert auction and games.

Live music features Idle Vice with Matt Cooper on keyboard and accordion, Eastern Oregon University winds professor Greg Johnson, and Pendleton bassist Alan Feves. In addition, Dan Burns 3D Productions will light up the night with a multimedia show.

Duffy said the EHA took over the Echo scholarship program when the Kiwanis Club of Echo disbanded in September 2023. They awarded two $3,000 scholarships this year.

“It is an honor to coordinate support for these aspiring young graduates,” Duffy said.

After taking over the St. Peter’s deed, Duffy said the board pondered what to do with the 1913 structure. Rather than developing it as a winery, tasting room or residential property, EHA is committed to showcasing it as a historic church.

“We can be respectful of the generations this site served devoted parishioners,” he said.

While the board is focused on maintaining the building’s historical appeal, Duffy said they are looking at acquiring an adjacent property. The idea, he said, is to conduct a feasibility study to develop a community senior center.

Advance tickets can be purchased for the Summer Solstice Party at Echo Ridge Cellars and Umpqua Bank, 1033 S. Highway 395, Hermiston. For more about the  Echo Heritage Association, visit www.echoheritage.org.

Historic St. Peter’s Church

Constructed in the Portuguese Colonial Revival style in 1913, the historic St. Peter’s Catholic Church features a distinctive stucco facade and the interior houses ornate statues and a faux marble altar.

It sat mostly empty for two decades after deconsecration in 1996. The Diocese of Baker donated the building to the Fort Henrietta Foundation.

After basic structural stabilization, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. It then sat nearly idle for two decades until the Kiwanis got involved.

Developed with support from the Kiwanis, the Echo Heritage Association took the project on in fall 2018. With contributions from more than 200 individuals, businesses and foundations, the EHA board is committed to preserving the history of the old St. Peter’s Church.