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There was little mention made about a small community celebration called Valleyfest in the pages of the Spokane Valley Herald back in September of 1990.
‘The first festival would be held at Terrace View Park and include food, music, free activities and a dunk tank featuring local politicians. A recap of the event later estimated that some 4,000 people may have showed up for the one of the last community celebrations on the summer calendar.
“It wasn’t nearly the event that it is today,” said longtime Valleyfest volunteer Mary Farley.
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Longtime Valleyfest volunteers (from left to right) Mary Farley, Andrea Berndt and Peggy Doering reminisced over two decades of the event at last week’s Valleyfest 20th anniversary kick-off. This year’s celebration will take place Sept. 18-20.
Photo by: Craig Howard |
Nearly two decades later, Valleyfest has grown into one of the largest regional happenings of its kind. Increased attendance prompted a move from Terrace View to Mirabeau Point Park in 2005 where the Valleyfest grounds now include over 150 booths, a car show, two stages of live music and an adjoining venue featuring the annual homage to timber sports known as Loggingfest.
Add a Friday night parade down Sprague Avenue, a fun run, pancake breakfast and a myriad of free activities that continue to be the event’s staple and it’s no wonder Valleyfest Executive Director Peggy Doering now refers to the occasion as “an event that takes year-round preparation.”
Last Wednesday, Doering hosted a kick-off celebration paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of Valleyfest at the CenterPlace Regional Events Center, a site that houses a portion of the Valleyfest program each September. Doering said, was to “look back at where we’ve been and look ahead to where we’re going.”
Luminaries like Spokane Valley Mayor Richard Munson attended the May 6 gathering along with representatives from the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and other local businesses.
“You represent a part of this city and something we can be very proud of,” Munson told a group of Valleyfest volunteers.
Munson was among a cadre of city leaders who convened at CenterPlace nearly four years ago to celebrate the dedication of the $10 million multipurpose building as part of the 2005 edition of Valleyfest. Since then,
CenterPlace has become an integral component of the annual program, hosting activities for seniors – the Spokane Valley Senior Center is located in the 54,000-square-foot space – as well as an art show and auction.
That same year, the Valleyfest parade moved from Saturday morning to Friday night and shifted routes from the streets around Terrace View Park to a one-mile stretch of Sprague Avenue beginning at Spokane Valley City Hall. The renewal of the “Hearts of Gold” parade from the 1960s brought out thousands of spectators and over 70 entries, including floats from a variety of surrounding communities. At the time, Doering joked that the procession was “on its way to becoming the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
While some residents balked at the idea of moving Valleyfest to a larger, more centrally located park, most agreed that the transition was a good one, Doering recalled. To deal with the lack of parking, Valleyfest organizers worked with the Spokane Transit Authority to provide free transportation to and from festival grounds.
This year, due to the removal of a federal subsidy, STA buses will not run a free shuttle service. Doering said she is looking at the possibility of bringing on private, charter buses to help with transportation.
While some facets of Valleyfest have changed over the years – the Spokane Symphony was once a regular part of the schedule, playing concerts on the Terrace View softball field – the agenda has expanded to include a hot air balloon rally on Saturday morning and fishing at Mirabeau Meadows Pond. Veteran volunteer Andrea Berndt said promotion of the event – which now includes radio and TV ads – may have changed the most.
“The marketing part of it is really different,” Berndt said.
To gear up for the 20th anniversary, Doering is planning to hold commemorative events at various venues like the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum in the months leading up to the weekend of Sept. 18. A gathering will also be held at Valleyfest’s original home, Terrace View Park, to, in Doering’s words, “honor the neighborhood and people who started it all.”
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By
Craig Howard
