If you think you have already seen all there is to see at the fair, you’ll be happy to know that the Spokane County Interstate Fair has come up with 60 new attractions to mark its 60th silver anniversary at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. Here are just five of the most compelling:
Bedazzle Your Bra Competition: Come to Bay 3 to view entries in this new competition of creatively decorated bras. This exhibit is put on by the Home Arts Department and the Susan G. Kohmen Foundation to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Goat Cart Rides: Ramona Mather and her goat Casper will give kids rides in the Goat Barn!
Dancing Horses: On Friday, September 16, at 2:15 p.m., watch members of Spokane County 4-H perform a dressage exhibition in the Horse Arena.
QR Code Barn Tours for Smart Phones: If you have a smartphone, you can scan a code at the entrance to each barn for a self-guided tour, which will make looking at livestock much more interesting! It’s sponsored by Big R. Stores, and you will receive a Big R. 15% off coupon for participating.
Not-So-Newlywed Contest: Tuesday, September 13, at 1:15 p.m., couples pre-selected through an essay competition will play for a grand prize at the North Stage. Play along in the audience to find out how well you know your partner!
As always, you can count on fun shows at the Grandstand: PRCA rodeos Friday and Saturday nights (September 10 and 11), compact car demolition derby and lawn mower races Sunday, September 11, two monster truck shows on the second Saturday (September 17), full-size car demolition derby on the second Sunday (September 18), and five great acts during the week: Neal McCoy, Osmond Brothers, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Switchfoot. Tickets are available at the Interstate Fair Office or at Ticketswest.com. General admission to the Fair is required for all shows.
The North Stage features a wide variety of free entertainment throughout the Fair, including regional and local musicians, comedy, hypnotism, juggling, and dancing. There are many other free entertainment events each day, such as racing pigs, kids pedal tractor racing, and demonstrations of “how it used to be” (butter churning, rope making, etc.) Click here for a complete day-by-day schedule of all that is happening.
General admission to the Fair is required for all shows. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for kids 7 to 13 and seniors 65 and over, and free for kids 6 and under. If, for you, going to the Fair means having a blast on the carnival rides, consider going on September 12–15, when you can buy a pay-one-price bracelet for $25, good for unlimited rides all night. Otherwise, each ride is $3–$5 in single carnival tickets. Fair hours are 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day except September 18, when this year’s big event will wrap up at 8:00 p.m. Parking is available at the Main Gate and South Gate. If you are travelling from out of town to play at the Fair, do yourself a favor and book a comfortable one- or two-bedroom suite at Stratford Suites Hotel, Spokane’s best lodging value! Full kitchens, leather furniture, pillow top mattresses, and 50” HDTV with DVD await you.
You don’t have to go far from the city to experience some good old fashioned farm fun. Just 20 minutes north of Spokane, at Green Bluff, you can pick your own delicious peaches, apples, and other produce in season (or buy them already harvested), take a free wagon ride, taste local wine, listen to live music, have a picnic with lunch and snack items from one of several places, tour some farms, and entertain the kids at numerous play areas. The scenic area is at the foothills of Mt. Spokane.
If you haven’t tasted just-picked Green Bluff peaches and apples, you are in for a treat! Local, farm fresh produce is a world away from the usual grocery store fare and may inspire you to try new recipes and cooking methods. A great website with recipes for natural, healthy cooking that really highlights farm fresh food is At My Kitchen Table. Pictures with the steps make the recipes easy to follow.
The Green Bluff Growers, founded in 1902, is an association of small farms and food stands. In two driving loops, you can visit over 30 farms and stands with an abundance of locally grown and manufactured food. In addition to extremely fresh fruits and vegetable, you will find gifts, alpaca yarn and wool goods, frozen Italian meals, candy, honey, jams, pies, and much more.
Each farm is a little different, and food and entertainment offerings vary by season. Although many farms are open on weekdays, most of the entertainment only happens on weekends. Some farms are closed on Sundays. Check the website to see what is happening at each farm. There are several big festivals at Green Bluff—currently, farmers are celebrating the August Peach Festival on weekends through Labor Day as it is prime soft fruit season. Next up is the September Apple Harvest Festival, when you can pick up some of the best chunky applesauce and fresh pressed apple cider you’ll ever taste. In the fall, pumpkin picking and corn mazes are always popular, and you can even come back for a Christmas tree in the winter. A Sanctuary Bed and Breakfast, on 11 wooded acres at the gateway to Green Bluff, offers the option of a retreat without travelling far from Spokane.
Parking is available and free; expect the roads to be crowded on weekends, but with over 30 farms, lines are generally short. Click here for directions. Green Bluff is great for anyone who loves fresh food, and it is a great family outing, with plenty for kids to do. Each farm sets its own hours; check the farm locator page for details. Click here for a map that shows what each farm offers.
Earth Day is officially Friday, April 27, but the big party starts on Saturday at 11 a.m. in downtown Spokane. Main Street will be closed off between Browne and Division to allow Spokane residents and visitors to celebrate our beautiful planet and green living until midnight. The day’s events are definitely family friendly. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., kids can enjoy free activities like vegetable planting and marching in the Procession of the Species parade (parade is at 2 p.m., and kids will make their own fun animal masks to wear beforehand). Youngsters can also collect special “passports” that will be stamped for visiting different animal themed activity booths.
If you want to start celebrating earlier in the morning and feel good about doing something for the nature in and around Spokane, join the Earth Day Spokane River Clean Up sponsored by 96.9 the River, Friends of the Centennial Trail, and the Spokane Riverkeeper. Meet at Mission Park at 8 a.m. (across from Avista on Mission Ave.) Treats, coffee, and trash bags will be provided.
All ages will enjoy the live performances of music, dance, and poetry. Malidoma World Dance studio will be performing traditional dances, the Hoop Troup will make hula hooping tricks look ridiculously easy, and several bands will perform, including the Angela Marie Project, B Radicals, and the Brad Keeler Trio. Local community leaders, among them Mayor Mary Verner and Councilman Richard Rush, will give blissfully brief talks as well. If you have a thing or two to say or sing yourself, sign up for the open mic on Isabella’s rooftop. All day long, you can browse interesting community booths with information and activities on sustainability, and of course there will be delicious street food.
In the evening, stick around to see flaming hula hoop performances and show your moves at an electronic dance party located in the Community Building warehouse (ages 16+). Bands will continue to rock the outdoor stage until midnight. Admission is free; come for just a little while or stay all day, but don’t miss Earth Day Spokane 2011!
It may not feel like it with recent snow flurries and hail in parts of Spokane, but spring really is here. There are always plenty of beautiful, sunny days in the spring to get outside, and there are plenty of indoor great spring events for the not-so-pleasant days. Here are a few fun things to do in the Spokane area this season.
Race with 50,000 of Your Closest Friends at Bloomsday, May 1
If you want to register for the huge footrace/festival in downtown Spokane known as Bloomsday, which winds through some beautiful scenery, you can register online through April 17 ($15 plus an online processing fee of $1.49) or you can register by mail by April 12 using a Bloomsday form, available at numerous locations. If you miss those deadlines, you still have the opportunity to register late for $30 at Bloomsday check-in on Friday, April 29 from 11:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 30 from 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The race is open to runners, walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, and assisted wheelchairs. If you’d rather get in on the fun without actually walking or running 7.46 miles, stake out a place to watch early in the morning, or just go walk around and hang out downtown and in Riverfront Park, soaking up the festive atmosphere and enjoying the on-site entertainment.
Visit the River in Full Glory
Spokane River during the very high water spring of 2008. Posted by John Davies on ADVrider.com.
A simple pleasure for Spokane residents, the river that runs through the heart of our city never fails to impress visitors. During the spring, the Spokane River swells with runoff, and water rises to its highest point all year, creating an incredible sight of roaring, rushing water. Photographers are frequently seen with tripods at various viewing points, trying to catch the perfect Spokane River shot. Riverside State Park, especially around the Bowl and Pitcher area, is a beautiful natural environment to view the river in. Although many hiking areas are still muddy during the spring, there are plenty of great places to walk along and view the river that are paved. Riverfront Park downtown offers plenty of paved trails and walking bridges to view the falls area, and you can easily make a day out of it with an IMAX movie, a ride on the Spokane Falls Skyride, and a go–around on the historic Looff Carousel. The paved Spokane River Centennial Trail follows the river from the Idaho state line to Nine Mile Falls and also makes for a scenic spring bike ride. Or, you can pack a picnic lunch and head to one of the many Spokane parks that are right on the river. Click here for a map of the city park system.
If you like browsing antique shops, here is a show that is the equivalent of dozens of antique shops put together, with over 300 dealers from all over the U.S. to answer your questions and chat with you about the joy of collecting really old stuff. The 75,000 square feet of merchandise will be on display at the Spokane Fair & Expo Center (corner of Broadway & Havana) Friday through Sunday, April 29–May 1. Admission is $6 for the entire weekend, and parking is free. Appraisers will be on hand Saturday and Sunday to put a price on your treasures; the $5 per item fee benefits the MAC Museum.
Spring Barrel Tasting, May 6–8 On Mother’s Day weekend, all 17 of the Spokane Winery Association wineries open their doors to the public to celebrate the traditional end of one winemaking season and the beginning of another. You can sample new and current vintages, talk to the winemakers, and enjoy the company of other wine lovers at this fun and popular event. Some of the wineries will even offer samples of wine still in the wine-making process, directly from barrels or tanks. The wineries will offer snacks, and many will be featuring food and wine specials. Reasonable tasting fees may apply; tasting fees are usually credited to a wine bottle purchase. Plan your trip with a map of the wineries. Tasting hours are Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Northwest’s largest theme park, located on Highway 95 just minutes north of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, opens May 7. While the Boulder Beach Water Park does not open until June 4, spring is a great time to experience the rides and attractions of Silverwood with less crowds and less time spent waiting in line. The rainy season usually clears up in May, and there will be plenty of sunny, warm days that are perfect for screaming on roller coasters. General admission is $41.99 for adults and $21.99 for ages 3–7 and 65+, so if you pay general admission and plan on going to the park at least four times this year, you will save by purchasing a season pass for $139.99, which also gives you free parking, additional discounts, and the ability to load up your card with money and use it anywhere in the park. A tip for spring Silverwood visits: as the weather can be unpredictable, bring an extra change of clothes in the car so you have something to change into if being soaked by Thunder Canyon leaves you cold.
Gardening is a favorite spring activity for many Spokane area residents, and this is your chance to meet other gardeners, check out the newest and coolest plants, and learn tips and techniques for all kinds of gardening, including indoor gardens and organic practices. The Inland Empire Gardeners host the fair, which has over 250 booths, a lecture series, door prizes, and children’s activities. If you are new or just interested in starting to grow plants at all, don’t be intimidated, as this show focuses on “real gardens, by real people” and “down-to-earth ideas that inspire rather than intimidate.” The Spokane Garden Expo is May 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Spokane Community College Lair, 1810 N. Green St. Admission and parking are free!
Kids are back in school and fall is in the air, two sure signs that it is time for the Spokane County Interstate Fair. Where else can city slickers visit all their favorite farm animals, watch a real live rodeo, see how to drive a tractor, gawk at monstrous vegetables, and see both famous country music and hard rock bands? It will indeed be an “AG-Venture.”
The ten days of fun start on September 10 and end on September 19. You can pick up amusement ride bracelets at a deep discount through the close of day September 9 at the Fair Office (at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. in Spokane Valley). At just $22, the bracelets are good for one day of unlimited rides. Individual ride tickets are $1, and each ride costs three–five tickets, so the pre-purchase bracelets are an excellent deal. Bracelets are available after the fair has started as well, but they cost a bit more. Discount pre-fair admission tickets are also available at the fair office through September 9.
In addition to thousands of exhibits, the 2010 Spokane County Interstate Fair will offer plenty of free entertainment including the ever-popular pig races, International Lumberjack Show, and Mutton Bustin’, where kids 6 years and under try to stay on a bucking sheep for six seconds. Performances at the Grandstand, which you can purchase tickets for through TicketsWest, include the PRCA Rodeo, country star Clint Black, ABBA the Music (ABBA tribute band), and the hard rock band Hinder. There will also be dozens of great shows for free with admission at the North Stage, everything from a hypnotist to country gospel music. Check the website for the full entertainment schedule.
Of course, there will also be plenty of fair food to celebrate the end of bathing suit season with, so bring your appetite! You can count on all your old favorites, such as elephant ears, deep-fried ice cream, fresh fudge, pecan rolls (my personal favorite, which I eat exactly once per year), kettle corn—and those are just some of the desserts!
What a perfect time of year to think about remodeling your home. Attend the Home Idea Show for ideas and connections, October 9 –11, Spokane Fair & Expo Center. The Home Idea Show has everything you need as far as renovations, remodels and redecorating go! This comprehensive event includes hundreds of exhibits with merchandise, product demonstrations and sample interior and exterior vignettes. Meet with contractors, landscapers, architects and interior designers. You’ll have a chance to see samples of products such as the newest in flooring and walkways to transform your home and add to its appeal. View displays of kitchens, baths, windows, furnishings, spas, pools, fireplaces, sunrooms, and much more. Come with ideas and an imagination for what’s possible and The Home Ideas Show will provide the inspiration! Show hours are Friday, Noon – 8pm, Saturday, 10am – 8pm and Sunday, 10am – 5pm. Admission is just $7 for adults, children 12 and under are totally free. For more information visit HomeIdeaShow.com or call 939.8017.
Travel Spokane is a website built to inform Spokane visitors about the latest news, events, and opportunities in Spokane. This information is provided free courtesy of Stratford Suites. Check out their website atstratfordsuites.com
If you think you have already seen all there is to see at the fair, you’ll be happy to know that the Spokane County Interstate Fair has come up with 60 new attractions to mark its 60th silver anniversary at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. Here are just five of the most compelling:![[del.icio.us]](http://www.travel-spokane.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
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