Five-dollar food, new rides and discounts: What to know as the Spokane Interstate Fair opens for the year

Sep. 5—Tasty and affordable barbecue sliders. A teaser for next year's mascot. New carnival rides.

These are just some of the fun things on tap at this year's Spokane Interstate Fair beginning Friday.

Here's what to know:

On a budget? No problem

Five-dollar homemade meals are unheard of at a fair — but one booth is changing the game.

Joey Azar, owner of Azar's Food Haven, is providing $5 dollar meals for fairgoers. Although he wasn't sure how it would work out, considering the expenses that come with buying all the ingredients, Azar knows food insecurity has been an issue and wanted to help families who still want to enjoy the fair without being too concerned about their finances.

"After COVID, everything was a shock — this is the first time ever that we're doing this, just because I think people really need it," Azar said.

"Everything is inflating, and the whole system is just ridiculous."

Their menu includes chicken tenders that they marinate, bread and fry; decently sized buffalo chicken and barbecue sliders (with almost a quarter-pound of meat each, Azar says); waffle fries; lemonade and more — all within $5 dollars.

Additional costs would only come if you want cheese on your fries or dipping sauces.

"The $5 booth is just something that I kind of really always wanted to do with the prices the way they are now," Azar said. "I just hope I sell enough to make it worth it."

To help alleviate costs, Mary Kae Repp, lead marketing manager for the fairgrounds, said they also have discounts on certain days, including extending their preseason discount tickets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Friday in honor of National Food Bank Day.

"We've teamed up with Great Harvest Foods and George Gee GMC; it's really easy. You just grab two cans of food out of your cupboard and come on down to the fair, and you're going to receive $5 off admission tickets. All you have to do is find the George Gee GMC truck at the entrance and donate your two cans of food," Repp said.

In addition, Repp said that on Monday, people 55 or older can get complimentary tickets sponsered by U.S. Bank at the gate, where you only need to show your ID to get free admission all day. Parking will also be 50% off, so instead of $10, it's $5 for parking all of Monday.

They will have another free day on Wednesday for frontline workers, which includes police officers, firefighters, ambulance drivers, EMTs and anyone who works at a hospital. All they need is an ID badge to get free admission all day through complimentary tickets at Carpet Barn.

"We also have two big discounts that we're offering on Sunday, which is our last day, on Sept. 15. Spokane Teachers Credit Union is making it possible for everyone in education, public and private; if you have a pay stub or an ID, you get free admission all day long," Repp said.

Rides, old and new

Need a little bit of chaos in your life? Well, these new rides at the fair might be perfect.

Jesse Bogue, assistant manager for Butler Amusements, said two new rides — The Khaos and Viper — will be set up for this year's fair.

"We do try to bring in a couple of new rides each year, or change up from year to year," Bogue said.

The Khaos is fairly new and seats 24 at a time as it swings back and forth while it spins in the air — creating a thrilling experience for riders.

"The name suits the ride," Bogue said.

Viper hasn't been at the Spokane Fairgrounds for years.

This 24-seat colossal ride turns and spins at a fast velocity that's so intense, Butler considers it one of its most thrilling rides.

"The people's faces tell it all. So that's, you know, that's good for me," Bogue said. "That's when I know that it's a good experience. The screams show that, hey, we're doing something right."

Bogue said there is also a new ride for kids called Dinos and Elephants that features fun creature characters as the seats. The ride slowly moves up and down in circles.

Local artist paints mural for the fair, hints at next year's mascot

Since Aubree Click was little, going to the fair was a favorite part of her childhood.

So after Click was asked to paint a mural for the fair, she said it was a "surreal" moment.

"I grew up going to the Spokane fair, so I just wanted to put in everything — it's kind of just how I remember seeing it growing up," Click said.

The mural, close to where you enter the fair, is filled with vibrant colors and captures your eye from one side to the next, with a red tractor set on a pillow of tall green grass and sunflowers, a blue ribbon, fruit and a variety of farm animals — one of which hints at next year's mascot. This year's mascot is a goat.

"It probably, in total, took me between, like, 60 and 70 hours," Click said. "It took me a really long time because I just wanted it to be really detailed, and I'm pretty much a perfectionist, so it took me a long time to feel like it was done."