Endless Summer Nights at the fair

Fair attendance to top 25,000 for 4-day run

Record sales and increased attendance plus favorable weather added up to “Endless Summer Nights” at the Palouse Empire Fair.

Although the weather was cool on Wednesday, Sept. 3, by Thursday, skies had cleared and temperatures warmed.

“We’ll bust 25,000 (attendance) by all financial indications,” Palouse Empire Fair Manager Bob Reynolds said Tuesday morning.

Reynolds said Saturday’s attendance was the “largest crowd we’ve had in the last seven years.”

Reynolds also noted that every vendor had record sales during the fair.

“It was the ‘Perfect Storm’,” Reynolds said.

Palouse candidate Elizabeth Akin was crowned Miss Palouse Empire Fair in the fair queen’s competition Friday night. Erica Eng of Colfax and Victoria Waltz of Pullman were named princesses.

Sydney Farnsworth of Garfield was named Palouse Empire Rodeo Queen on Sunday during the rodeo. She is a junior at Pullman High School.

Reynolds noted that carnival receipts are the highest the fair has ever had, and that there was more ice cream sold than ever before.

Reynolds also said one food stand, Steptoe Firemen, ran out of food Saturday and had to restock for the final day.

Greg Hall, one of the volunteers at the Steptoe Firemen booth, said they ran out of hamburgers and french fries about 7:30 p.m. Saturday night. They initially purchased their normal inventory for the four-day run of the fair, almost 3,000 pounds of burgers and almost 900 pounds of fries.

Hall said they cleaned out Rosauers in Colfax and had to travel to Pullman to purchase more meat for Sunday’s opening. When the Steptoe booth opened at 11 a.m. Sunday, they only had enough burgers for two hours. After the burgers sold out, Hall said they sold out the rest of their inventory such as pie and pop.

Hall said he thought the gross sales were strong, and he anticipates solid earnings after all the bills are received and paid.

County Agent Janet Schmidt said it was exciting to have the Eric and Shannon Appel family named as the first Fair Family this year.

Schmidt also said the livestock sale went well, and that this is the first year goats were allowed to be sold at the market.

“The goats sold well and we had a nice representation of meat goats,” she said. Six goats were sold at the auction

According to Schmidt, the FFA Grand Champion goat sold for $10 per pound and the 4H Grand Champion goat sold for $12 per pound.

Sales for the other animals totaled 92 sheep, 133 hogs and 58 steers. The numbers of animals sold were close to the same as last year.

“We have great support from the community, buyers and families for the sale and we appreciate it very much,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said in other categories at the fair, food entries and digital photography entries increased, but she believes sewing and baked entries decreased this year.

“We appreciate all the volunteers and staff who put in lots and lots of hours,” she said. “We live in a great place and thanks to everyone we’re able to put on a wonderful fair.”