South Perry fair, parade Saturday

The South Perry Street Fair and Parade is Saturday, but parade participants can get an early start at decorating their bikes today, at the South Perry Farmers Market in the parking lot of The Shop, 924 S. Perry St.

“We will have people at the market who can help the kids get started,” said Jesse Hansen, one of the organizers. “You can decorate anything with wheels on it.”

Parade staging is at 9 a.m. along Ninth Avenue in front of Grant Elementary School. The parade is free for children, families and neighbors, Hansen said.

“No motorized vehicles or large animals,” Hansen said. “This is a small, fun neighborhood parade.”

This year’s parade is held in honor of longtime South Perry resident and neighborhood activist Russ Nobbs, who died on June 27.

One new development at this 15th South Perry Street Fair and Parade is that the event will be mostly solar powered.

“We are using solar panels supplied by EcoDepot,” Hansen said. “They are charged when we get them and we just hope they keep going all day.”

This year’s fair will also have a staffed bike corral in front of Two Wheel Transit and a diaper changing and breastfeeding station hosted by Bella Cova.

Volunteers are still needed to help with setup in Grant Park early Saturday morning, and take down Saturday evening, as well as to take care of various tasks during the fair and parade, including staffing the bike corral.

The Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St., will host its annual Obon Festival on Saturday and Sunday. The temple is located across the street from The Shop, and fairgoers are invited to come in and enjoy Japanese food, art, crafts and music from noon to 7 p.m.

Entry is free, and there are charges for food and children’s games.

The festival’s highlight, the Bon Odori or Bon Dancing will be held each day at 6 p.m.

For more information about the Buddhist Temple events, call (509) 534-7954 or search for the temple on Facebook.