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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Then and Now: Spokane Interstate Fair

1910: Fair attendees stroll through exhibits and food booths at the Spokane Interstate Fair, held Oct. 3-9, 1910. The city’s annual fairs, with various names and themes, date back to the 1880s and mainly focused on agriculture. Seen in the distance in the upper left are the North West Harvester Company dealership and the large E.H. Stanton meatpacking plant, which would later be owned by Armour and Company, one of the largest meatpackers in the nation. (Spokesman-Review Photo Archives)
1910: Fair attendees stroll through exhibits and food booths at the Spokane Interstate Fair, held Oct. 3-9, 1910. The city’s annual fairs, with various names and themes, date back to the 1880s and mainly focused on agriculture. Seen in the distance in the upper left are the North West Harvester Company dealership and the large E.H. Stanton meatpacking plant, which would later be owned by Armour and Company, one of the largest meatpackers in the nation. (Spokesman-Review Photo Archives)
By Jesse Tinsley jesset@spokesman.com(509) 459-5378

Spokane has had various organizations putting on annual fairs. The first was put on by the Washington and Idaho Fair Association in 1886 in Corbin Park. These continued in 1887 and 1888.

Annual fairs would include a horse race called the Spokane Derby and a young woman would be selected as the Derby Queen.

The massive fire that destroyed the downtown canceled the fair in 1889, the year Washington became a state.

In 1890, Spokane held the Northwestern Industrial Exposition downtown but horse races were still at Corbin Park.

The fairs from 1891to 1893 were sponsored by the Spokane Fair and Agricultural Association. The financial panic of 1893 curtailed most racing, which often included betting.

The 1894 to 1898 events were called the Spokane Fruit Fair and were housed in a giant temporary building downtown with wooden walls covered by a canvas roof.

In 1900, the Spokane Industrial Exposition took place. Though agriculture remained important, mining and technology were prominent in displays.

Horse racing in Spokane had almost died out after 1893, but supporters began constructing a new racetrack in an area of East Spokane, near Main Avenue and Altamont Street. Two intersecting railroad tracks created a triangular parcel and there were plans to add a baseball field, a bicycle race track and other entertainment amenities.

In 1901, the Spokane Interstate Fair organization was incorporated with $25,000 from selling shares to finance the event and improve the fairgrounds.

Throughout the early 20th century, the fairs included such marvels as motorized farm equipment, automobiles, motorcycles, hot air balloons and airplanes. Horse racing only took place during the fair.

The fair usually brought in more than 100,000 attendees each year and would continue until 1930, when it was discontinued and the fairgrounds sold to the city. The annual horse racing ended.

There were no fairs from 1931 to 1933.

Playfair race track was organized in 1934 and leased the fair property. A grandstand with seating for 1500 was added.

Various fair supporters held fair-style events 1936 to 1940. A new event, the Spokane Valley County Fair, was held in the Dishman area from 1942 to 1944.

In 1945, a new fair association using the name Spokane Interstate Fair organizes but there were no fairs from 1946 to 1949. In 1950, the association signs a 35-year lease on 97 acres at Havana Street and Broadway Avenue, but the fair wouldn’t begin until 1952.

The Spokane Interstate Fair has been held annually at the new fairgrounds, called the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.