Rain, Wind Cool Interstate Fair Opening Power Outage Hits Fairgrounds, Blustery Weather Knocks Over Tents

When the theme of the fair is “Mooollennium,” maybe a brief Y2K-like power outage is all just part of the package.

Early afternoon wind and rain raised some minor havoc as the 49th annual Spokane Interstate Fair got under way with gusts and gusto on Friday.

The traditional kids parade opened the festivities in the morning. After lunch, the rains came. At 2:30 p.m., the downpour triggered a circuit breaker and the power went out at the fairgrounds and the Havana neighborhood, said Avista spokeswoman Laurine Jue. The outage lasted 45 minutes.

The wind toppled some tents, fair organizers said.

The rain triggered a flood for K&K Ski Supplies, which sells fleece clothing. The tent is located at the south corner of the midway - a prime spot the Spokane company has had for the last five years.

But it is also the low spot on the midway, K&K owners and sisters Kim Campbell and Angela Paulson discovered on Friday.

“It was bad, really bad,” said Campbell. “We were shut down for 3-1/2 hours.”

The torrent caused the water to pool and was about 4 inches deep, Campbell said. The sisters were up to their ankles with their shoes sopping. Children were rushing in, and splashing the merchandise. That’s when they closed.

K&K reopened after Campbell went home and got her Shopvac and cleaned up the mess. Here’s the part that has Campbell and Paulson shaking their heads: The flooding happened because their site, which was dirt last year, was paved, but wasn’t equipped with a drain. So, the sisters pondered: The flooding was bad, but if it happened last year, it would’ve been all mud …

Shutting down was especially hard, Campbell said, because they usually do such good business selling their warm fleecy products when the weather is cool.

Fair organizers were getting some rubber mats to put down in the tent for flooring. Campbell plans to keep the Shopvac around.

By late afternoon, the skies had cleared. It was still windy, but attendance was picking up.

Seniors and kids got in free on opening day, and they took advantage, said fair director Dolly Hughes. Numbers were up by 4 p.m. compared to last year, she said.

Denise Myklebust was taking advantage of the opening day rates with daughters Jennifer, 8, Ashley, 7, and Sarah, 7 months. Myklebust, a Spokane native, always attended the fair as a girl, and now her girls do the same.

“We went to the petting zoo and we ate,” Ashley said as they waited for the Live Shark Show to begin.

The girls had hamburgers. Jennifer had fries, but Ashley didn’t, because she only likes McDonald’s fries.

“I like all kinds of french fries,” Jennifer said, speaking for the majority.

Sarah was working on a bottle and taking in her first fair experience with big blue eyes.

Myklebust said her husband, Steve, isn’t quite the fair enthusiast that she is, but usually makes it out once or twice.

The sharks were cool, Jennifer said. She also looked forward to the haunted house. And all the rides. It was the first day. The Myklebusts would be back.