New grandstand doubles rodeo box seat inventory

Palouse Empire Rodeo Association has launched box seat sales for the new grandstand, which is now under construction at the fairground. The rodeo will market more than twice the number of box seats which will be available in the larger grandstand.

Overall, the new grandstand will be close to double the capacity with a rating of 2,489 seats compared to 1,250 for the former grandstand.

The count of box seats now totals 432 with 48 in each of the nine sections.

The fair has reserved 96 of the seats for honorary seating, and the rodeo association will offer 28 boxes of 12 seats each. That compares with 13 boxes with eight folding chairs each in the previous configuration.

Prior box seat holders have been offered the new boxes at last year's price of $250. That will include four more seats in the box, according to Kay Riebold, rodeo secretary.

So far, eleven of the prior holders have renewed.

Unlike the former box seats, which were actually part of the original grandstand dating back to the horse racing days, the new box seat sections will feature stationary plastic fold-down seats. Each "box" will be two rows of six seats each.

Riebold said individual tickets for each seat will be sold to the box holders who will have the option of selling off some of the seats in their box.

Three of the five grandstand seating sections behind the box seats will also feature fold-down chairs. The configuration also includes one and one-half sections of bleacher seats on each end. Seating will be free in those sections.

At Monday night's fair board meeting session, Bill Tensfeld, fair executive director, said seats for the grandstand are now expected to arrive on Monday. He said the contractor estimates the seats will be installed in three to five days and the grandstand project should be finished about the third week of August.

The new grandstand extends for 229 feet with most of the additional length on the north end which now ends close to the main parade entrance into the rodeo arena

Installation of new lights and paving to connect fair walkways to the grandstand entrances are also part of the work to be finished.

Dedication of the new grandstand has been scheduled before the start of the first session of rodeo competition Friday evening of the fair, Sept. 6.