Union County will have a nostalgic back-in-time look the weekend of June 13-15.

The county will be a haven for antique and classic cars during the first Grande Ronde-A-View Weekend.

People from throughout the Northwest will be here to attend and participate in a classic car show, cruise-ins and related events primarily in La Grande and Elgin.

Entry forms for the event were sent out early this month and already people from as far away as Sisters, Bend and The Dalles have registered, said Arlan Miesner, president of the Union County Timber Cruisers Car Club.

The club is organizing the Grande Ronde-A-View Weekend and it hopes to make it an annual event.

Following is an overview of the scheduled activities.

Friday, June 13

The Grande Ronde-A-View Weekend kicks off with an automobile cruise-in at the Safeway parking lot from 6 to

8 p.m. The public will be invited to come and view cars, listen to music provided by Kool FM 106 and have a hot dog. All proceeds from the hot dog sales will support breast cancer research. The cruise-in will be sponsored by Baxter Auto Parts and Safeway.

Saturday, June 14

A “Show and Shine” and auto-related swap meet starts at 9 a.m. at Community Field in Elgin. Twenty-three awards will be given to entrants in various categories.

A raffle, food vendors and music provided by Kool FM 106 will be part of the show and shine, which will be held in conjunction with Elgin’s annual RiverFest celebration.

All profits from the car show and swap meet will be donated to the Mount Emily Safe Center.

Other activities people coming to Elgin will be able to enjoy the morning of June 14 include a breakfast at its fire department, a quilt show, a tractor and old engine show at the Elgin Stampede Grounds, city-wide garage sales and a ride on the Eagle Cap Excursion Train. Free shuttle bus service to venues in Elgin will be provided by Community Connection of Northeast Oregon.

Events continue later in La Grande with a barbecue at the Pioneer Park Rotary Pavilion from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The barbecue is free to car show entrants. The cost for others eating at the barbecue is $5 a person and $15 a family.

A classic cars cruise-in follows in downtown La Grande from 7 to 9 p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded to the car owners in drawings throughout the event. Miesner encourages everyone in the community to attend, noting that it is important to the classic car owners that spectators be there.

Sunday, June 15

The concluding event is a poker cruise through the Grande Ronde Valley that begins at 10 a.m. at Safeway’s parking lot. Participants will circle the Grande Ronde Valley, making stops at Summerville, Elgin, Cove and Union before returning to La Grande. Drivers will draw a card at each stop. The individuals finishing with the best poker hands will share $200 in prize money.

The major sponsor of the Grande Ronde-A-View Weekend is Legacy Ford.

For additional information on the Grande Ronde-A-View Weekend, contact the Timber Cruisers Car Club at timbercruisers.car club@hotmail.com, Union County Tourism at www.visitlagrande.com or call Miesner at 963-9025.