Sweet day for fun in park

Eva Roberts got into the Fourth of July spirit with a bang.

The owner of Just American Deserts and her crew offered up thousands of pieces of cake during a half-hour blitz that had fireworks watchers ooing and aahing long before the first sparkler was lit.

“We just wanted to be part of something special,” she said. Her Spokane Valley bakery at the intersection of Appleway Boulevard and University Road is a reliable stop for something sweet any time of year.

But this year she was asked to participate in the annual Neighbor Day celebration.

Call it a rich blend of patriotism, marketing and fun.

They served up a variety of cakes, 25 in all, that included the crowd pleasers chocolate fudge and Washington apple. Keeping the buttercream frosting stable was the biggest challenge, Roberts said.

“This is just a real treat,” said Reta Chamberlain of Spokane, who was enjoying cake and the warm night, too, with her children and a friend.

The downtown Spokane festival offered the usual fare: lots of food booths, jewelry, carnival rides, music, a Washington National Guard display booth featuring a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that kids ages 5 to 50 were eagerly crawling into.

The politicians were out, too. Republican candidates for sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and Cal Walker were shaking hands. Their booths were separated by an assortment of businesses that included an insurance firm, a security company, and Hooters bar and restaurant.