The Happy Canyon Pageant, the West's most unique Indian show, began in 1916 when Roy Raley, fathers of the Pendleton Round-Up, decided that evening entertainment was needed for the Round-Up. Raley wrote a show based on stories from his father, who came to Oregon on the Oregon Trail.
The first show was held as part of the Umatilla-Morow County Fair. The history of the Indians was added to the show a few years later.
The pageant requires a cast of 231 Indian and 159 white performers, as well as numerous livestock. The Happy Canyon Pageant is the result of 80 years of dedication by Umatilla County residents to present a pageant of their own history.