Southeast Spokane County Fair opens Friday

The Spokane County fair may have closed earlier this week, but if you haven’t had your fill of fair food and amusement, you have another chance this weekend in Rockford.

“Moo Di Gras,” the 66th annual Southeast Spokane County Fair, will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The event will include exhibits, vendors, food, livestock, a carnival, a parade or two, a three-on-three basketball tournament and live music.

Vivian Plank, one of the fair directors, said the event once received funding from the state, but no longer. This year, there will be a raffle of a 40-inch television, and organizers hope to sell 1,000 tickets to make up for the loss.

Plank said the fair used to be organized by the Rockford Lions Club every year, but the group handed over the reigns to the community a number of years ago.

“The community has kept it going,” she said.

“We do fundraisers. We do everything we can to support this,” added Kathy Creed, another fair organizer.

Plank said the Southeast Spokane County Fair appeals to people who are looking for the small-town feel of a community fair. Along with livestock, poultry and rabbit exhibits, there will be food sold by local organizations, and the new Rockford Community Center will be open to highlight its services.

The weekend will include a fun run, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for children 10 and older, and a horse show.

Plank, who also serves as the fair’s needlework superintendent, said her favorite parts of the fair are the arts and crafts exhibits. She likes to see how creative people can be.

She said that anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 people make the trip to Rockford to celebrate the town and the surrounding communities.

“It gets people out here.”