Pendleton Convention Center
Pendleton, Oregon
August 13-16, 2008

Come to Pendleton, Oregon, in August of 2008 for the 9th USAWest Square Dance Convention!

USAWest is a square dance convention in the western United States, organized to provide an intermediate experience somewhere between local state festivals and the National Square Dance Convention®. It encompasses 13 western states. USAWest conventions are not held in years when the NSDC is in the west. For more information about the USAWest concept and past conventions, please see the official web site of the USAWest Policy Board, sawest . net.

We are proud to be hosting the 2008 USAWest convention in Pendleton, Oregon, home of the world-famous Pendleton Round-Up for nearly a century. The "Let 'er Buck!" logo at right is found on promotional calendars in offices and dorm rooms around the world.

We will have dancing at all levels, with square dancing from mainstream to A2, rounds from phases I to VI, contra, and clogging. We are pleased to announce that the Ghost Riders Square Dance Band will be on hand to provide live music in the evenings. There will also be a program of seminars to fulfill your educational needs, and a number of exhibition groups to entertain you.

After Parties

Many people look forward to the after parties as the highlight of their attendance at a convention. At this point, we know we will have an afterparty Thursday night sponsored by the Single Square Dancers, and an afterparty Friday night sponsored by the Youth Square Dancers of Oregon. We'll keep you updated on future developments.

Registration

You may download our full registration form now by clicking here!

Convention Committee

Meet the group of hard-working volunteers who are putting on this convention at our committee page.

Callers

We will have a full complement of callers from all over the western United States.

Pendleton

Pendleton is a fascinating city, on the border of the old west. The city calls itself "The Real West", and it shows. At the foot of the Blue Mountains, it is surrounded by desert-like rangeland, making it a haven for cowboys and the cowboy lifestyle.

Pendleton is home to the famous Pendleton Woolen Mills. The mill has a tour and a factory outlet store. We will be having a raffle for a Pendleton blanket at our convention.

In the days of the railroad barons, an underground city grew beneath downtown Pendleton, housing Chinese immigrants, bootleggers, gamblers, bordellos, opium dens, and others attempting to stay out of society's limelight. This underground has been well-preserved, and fascinating tours of the underground area are available.

For those who hear the call of the slot machine, the Wildhorse Resort & Casino, operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, is only 5 miles from Pendleton.

The Pendleton Convention Center is a modern convention facility with several large exhibition floors and a number of smaller rooms. The center is surrounded by acres of free parking, so there will be plenty of room for you when you come.

Address:

Getting There

The Pendleton convention center is just off exit 209 of Interstate 84, the primary east/west freeway through Oregon. We expect most people will be arriving at the convention by car.

However, there are three flights per day directly into the Pendleton airport. You can come in from Portland International Airport, or depending on your itinerary, you can fly from Pasco, Washington.

Blue Moon Travel in Pendleton can help you with your travel arrangements. Call Jane Neal at 800-452-8110, or email her at jane@vacation.com.

Convention Outfit

Housing

RV Parking

The Pendleton Convention Center is offering RV parking for convention attendees at $12 per night, including an electric hookup. There are showers in the Convention Center. Please call the center at 800-863-9358 to reserve your spot.

Mountain View RV Park is a quiet RV park just off I-84 exit 210, about a mile from the convention center

The Wildhorse Resort and Casino, on the Umatilla Indian Reservation at I-84 exit 215, also offers a full-service RV park. You may be able to arrange for shuttle service between Pendleton and the resort.