Community News 9/26/08
Valleyfest soars to new heights as celebration of community
By Craig Howard
News Editor

The 2008 rendition of Valleyfest began with the color and pageantry of a midtown parade and ended with the drizzle of raindrops on tarpaulin tents.

Despite the onset of soggy weather, which moved in Saturday around 5 p.m. and carried over to Sunday, Valleyfest director Peggy Doering said the 19th annual celebration once again provided a distinctive showcase of community resources and activities, a trademark of the event since it began as a neighborhood festival at Terrace View Park in 1990. Doering estimated that approximately 30,000 people filed through Mirabeau Point Park on Saturday.

“The unique thing about Valleyfest is that it helps people know what’s in our community,” Doering said. “From the beginning, we’ve wanted people to know what’s out there for them.”

“Balloons Over Valleyfest” was one of several new features to highlight the annual community celebration last weekend. Around two hundred people showed up early Saturday morning to send off half-a-dozen hot air balloons into the skies over Spokane Valley.

The festival grounds featured a wide array of social service agencies from the Spokane Transit Authority which provided shuttle buses from the Spokane Valley Mall into the park to Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services which featured dogs and cats for adoption.

Mary McDermott of the Spokane Clean Air Agency said the event provided an opportunity to get the word out about outdoor burning restrictions and other programs.

“We talk to people who don’t realize there is someone they can call if they have concerns,” McDermott said. “It helps residents understand how to keep the air clean.”

Adjacent to the SCCA booth, representatives from Spokane Regional Solid Waste Systems distributed information about recycling while next door, Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs informed attendees about first-time home buying programs and house repairs for low-income residents.

“We usually just have a row,” McDermott said.

In addition to the usual array of live music and gathering of antique cars, the lineup of activities on Saturday ranged from putt-putt golf to fishing in Mirabeau Meadows Pond. The agenda also featured a number of educational venues, including a reading area and a display sponsored by the Inland Empire Paper Co. that provided an overview of the timber industry.   

Saturday’s schedule began at 6 a.m. with the inaugural Valleyfest hot air balloon rally attended by around 200 people. The balloons took off from the Spokane Industrial Park on Sullivan Road and floated north toward Mt. Spokane.

Stephanie Hughes, a pilot and coordinator of the event, said she was encouraged by the enthusiasm surrounding the first flight.

“I think it went fabulous,” Hughes said. “It’s a good fit with Valleyfest and it’s going to bring more tourists to the area.”

Hughes acknowledged that the rally has a ways to go before it ranks with larger regional gatherings in Walla Walla and Prosser, but expressed hope that continued sponsorship and interest would elevate the happening to another level next year.

“It’s a fun way for people to learn about science, things like weather patterns and aviation,” Hughes said.

The official launch of Valleyfest 2008 took place on Friday night with the “Hearts of Gold Parade” down Sprague Avenue. Doering estimated that around 15,000 people lined the streets for the procession featuring floats from towns like Fairfield and Chewelah, a gleaming contingent of antique cars and the spirited music of the West Valley High School Marching Band.

“The district called and asked if we could participate,” said Jim Loucks, WVHS band director. “We understand that it’s important to support the community.”

Cecelia Stephens, a board member representing the Lilac Festival, remarked how Valleyfest has developed into one of the more notable regional celebrations.

“Every year it’s been improving,” Stephens said. “They’ve built it into quite a festival.”

While the commercial element of Valleyfest has faded in recent years – there were only about 20 vendors represented in booths on Saturday – some local businesses see benefits in being part of the community gathering on an annual basis.  

Kick ‘n Fun, a martial arts school based in Spokane Valley, has participated in Valleyfest since 2004. Instructor Shawn Gantz said the event has been critical to the success of the company over the last five years.

“We wouldn’t be where we are without Valleyfest,” Gantz said.

Jayne Singleton, director of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, recalls setting up a small table years ago at Terrace View Park, long before the museum had its own site on Sprague Avenue. She said Valleyfest continues to “promote community awareness and an appreciation of our history.”