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It’s Time for the Spokane County Fair! Discount Ride Tickets Available through September 9

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

2010 Spokane County Fair LogoKids 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!

See you at the fair!

Three Festivals in One in Downtown Coeur d’Alene, July 30–August 1

Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Downtown Coeur d'Alene Street Fair

Downtown Coeur d'Alene Street Fair. Copyright 2010 Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association.

Every summer for the last nineteen years, Sherman Street in the downtown lakefront district of beautiful Coeur d’Alene, ID, has turned into a giant street fair for one sunny weekend. The Coeur d’Alene Downtown Street Fair features over 250 vendors of all kinds of arts, crafts, food, and other wares plus entertainment galore. Around 40,000 people attend the family friendly fair, which runs concurrently with two other big events in the city. It is handicap and stroller friendly so that everyone can feel welcome and comfortable. Hours are Friday and Saturday, 10:00 to 8:00, and Sunday, 10:00 to 5:00.

Also in downtown Coeur d’Alene, check out A Taste of the Coeur d’Alenes, in the city park, with food booths from some of the finest restaurants in the area. This is a great way to sample some of those nice restaurants you have been wanting to try! You can also enjoy great free live music in the park while you relax in the large, grassy sitting areas.

Art on the Green 2010Just a short walk away, or a short free shuttle ride that comes every thirty minutes if you are tired from walking around the street fair, is Art on the Green at the old Fort Sherman Grounds on the North Idaho College Campus. This event, in its forty-second year, brings together 135-plus artists, a variety of performers, over 500 volunteers, and 50,000 visitors for a celebration of art, creativity, and friendship. You can browse a large marketplace of original artist creations or try your hand at creating some of your own art in the hands-on sections for both children and adults, instruction provided. Two stages will showcase jazz, salsa, and Celtic music plus performances by the Lake City Playhouse, the Coeur d’Alene Opera, the Arte Flamenco Dance Theatre, and much more. Hours are Friday, noon to 7:30, Saturday, 10:00 to 7:30, and Sunday, 10:00 to 5:00.