Rockford comes alive!

Chico didn’t flinch as he was being sized up for a custom silver and black jacket Sunday afternoon.

The 1-year-old Chihuahua-dachshund mix was in line for a new canine coat, special-ordered through a vendor at the Southeast Spokane County Fair. While some of the hottest coats at the Pets R Spoiled booth boasted logos from college teams, Chico was leaning toward professional sports.

“He’s a big Raiders fan. He’s likes to sit and watch the games,” said his owner Johnny Avila, a 42-year-old Spokane resident who attended the event in Rockford.

The coats, which could also be purchased ready-made, featured reflective tape, Velcro closings and sold for $10 to $25.

Local dog owners showed a marked preference for jackets bearing logos of the Washington State University Cougars and University of Washington Huskies, said Pets R Spoiled owner Elaine Boots, 47, of Richland, who also sells her pet accessories at www.petsrspoiled.com.

“Business has been very good,” Boots said.

“I’d say that dachshunds and Chihuahuas are my biggest clientele.”

Boots’ pet apparel booth was among dozens of attractions at this year’s Southeast Spokane County Fair, held Friday through Sunday.

Organizers said about 3,500 people attended the event, which had a 3-on-3 basketball tournament along with carnival rides, vendors and attractions with a farm-town flavor.

“I’d say we have everything here that the Interstate Fair has to offer – only smaller,” said Carrie Roecks, a 45-year-old local who helps with the event.

An exhibit hall featured things that were hand-grown, hand-sewn, canned, pickled and photographed, while an outdoor stage showcased a mix of local talent and imported bands.

Dresses and aprons showed off intricate appliqué designs and were displayed just across the room from a dazzling assortment of traditional and modern quilts. Another building featured displays of dozens of jars of home-farmed wheat kernels along with several huge pumpkins.

Putting on the event is a huge undertaking for the town of 505 people, Roecks said, adding, “It takes people from every organization and business in town to make it all work.”

The fair featured three young ambassadors – a tiara-clad trio who traveled the region, promoting the fair. Charlee Ruchert, 18, Miranda Pierce, 17, and Sarah Mattausch, 18, said part of the fair’s appeal is that while it progresses it never loses its charm.

Ruchert’s mom, Sandee Ruchert, a 43-year-old Freeman resident, has been involved with the fair since the mid-1980s.

Back then, community enthusiasm was high but the budget was low.

“I was the rabbit supervisor back when the barn wasn’t a barn, it was actually a lean-to,” Sandee Ruchert said.