Spring Fair/Home Show brings record crowd

MOSES LAKE — The 2007 Spring/Fair Home Show drew its highest number of attendees over the weekend, bringing in 14,587 fairgoers.

This is 371 more people than attended the fair in 2005.

Hal Gruver, chairman of the fair's committee, attributed home improvement seminars with Home Depot and Penhallurick's True Value with attracting fairgoers. Prize drawings held every two h ours were enjoyed by attendees, according to organizers.

During the fair, the Dog Agility Show, produced by the Wenatchee, Ephrata and Moses Lake Kennel clubs, drew 150 dogs for 600 competitive runs.

The youth livestock sale received prices at least twice the current market value. Exhibitors numbering 148 showed 13 steers, 139 hogs and 26 lambs.

The Working Stock Dog demonstration, indoor stage with bluegrass and country music and high school bands, and good weather enticed fairgoers, according to organizers.

One of the more popular attractions was the Columbia Basin Dutch Oven Society's display, including food samples, organizers said.

A new event this year was the Rodeo Training School held by the Moses Lake Junior Rodeo Association. Sixty kids and 80 horses showed their rodeo skills in different categories such as the rough stock event.

Barrel races took place in the Ardell Pavilion, featuring 75 participants making 104 runs with time around 17 seconds, according to organizers.

Other events included power tool drag racing, which tested the speed of such devices as grinders and sanders, and lawn mower races transpired in the 4-H Arena.

The fair board is reviewing the spring fair's activities and planning for next year's spring fair and preparing for the county fair held August 14 through August 18. The next fair board meeting is April 17 in the Fuller building at the fairgrounds. The meeting is open to the public.