‘Chaos’ Is Another Word For Fun At Valleyfest
Interstate Fair or no Interstate Fair, Valleyfest was the place to be over the weekend.
Parents and kids crowded Terrace View Park, milling about food booths, taking in musicals and playing games.
Some even rode heavy machinery. More on that later.
By mid-day Saturday, Dance Emporium students were emptying the stage after grooving to songs like a countryfied version of “Summertime Blues.” Members of the Spokane Children’s Theater were taking over.
A clown came on stage, priming the crowd. “Let’s all practice our laughter for when we see something funny,” the clown said. The clown then taught the crowd how to heckle bad guys.
With an “Everyone say ‘break a leg,”’ the clown was gone and the troupe’s production of “Jack and the Beanstalk” began.
A brown-vested Jack, his mother and Betsy the dancing cow took the stage. “It’s a magical, musical day…” the actors sang.
Those who weren’t watching were at play. At the Spokane Valley YMCA area, kids took turns trying to kick balls through a board with different-shaped holes cut in it.
Kuray Arland tried to keep peace. One future hockey goalie jumped behind the board, not just retrieving balls but trying to block them with his helmeted skull.
“He was supposed to help us, but we didn’t tell him to do that,” Arland said.
Just next door, youngsters took turns at the basketball free-throw line, trying to sink the prime pumpkin.
Nearby, Sonja Peterson ran a mini-golf course. “Elbow grease, elbow grease!” she called. One little girl had a tough time. Peterson piped up, “This isn’t pool, y’know!”
There were booths that kids seemed to steer clear of, too. One of them was the Central Valley School District booth. It was a nice booth, though - lots of glossy leaflets and a friendly host, acting district superintendent C. Wallace Stanley.
Was this a good community event? “It’s community chaos,” Stanley said, laughing. He watched screaming knee-highs jump up and down inside a giant lion-shaped balloon trampoline, provided by Tidyman’s Warehouse Foods.
“My grandkids love that inflatable thing,” he said.
Others tried a more subtle activity, one requiring keen wits and concentration. Chess? Checkers, at least?
No way. It was Oreo stacking.
Sarah Woodard, 9, had tied for first place in one of the rounds. She had stacked 25 sandwich cookies atop one another without a fall. The prize was five of the chocolate treats.
“That’s a lot of work for five cookies,” quipped Sarah’s mom, Christine Woodard.
If Oreos couldn’t hit the spot, there was always the vendor booths. They pushed pies, they hocked hot dogs. Folks gathered round them en masse, calling “I want a -” and “gimme a -.”
Those who regretted their food purchase had the perfect opportunity to lose it, thanks to Vera Water and Power.
The company volunteered the use of its “bucket truck” - those things guys in hard hats use to reach overhead power lines needing repair. Brave souls could ride atop the telescoping crane for free.
“This is the third year we’ve done it,” said Steven Plell as he waited to help the next batch of victims aboard.
Jim Bowles and his 7-year-old son, Jeff, climbed up. It hoisted them skyward, then shimmied about like a slow-motion blender.
“It was fun,” Jeff said, but added he wouldn’t do it again. Dad would.
“It’s probably the most popular thing here,” Bowles said. And off they went, bravely heading toward the food vendors - or bathrooms.
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