2020 Best Annual Community Event: Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
The Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo has been part of the Tri-City community for 72 years, and people appreciate the annual event.
“Members of our community have enjoyed the Best Week of Summer for generations and it is a great honor that the Fair is their favorite event,” said Duane Howard, President of the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo Board of Directors.
The Fair has become one of the largest in the Northwest, with the highest-grossing youth livestock auction in the state, and the 22nd-ranked rodeo in the nation with the Horse Heaven Round-Up.
Fairs are the foundation for agriculture promotion in our society and, as our population continues to shift to a more urban demographic, it is the responsibility of the fair to remind the public of the key role that agriculture and rural communities will continue to play in our economy and daily lives.
“In addition to providing a great week of celebration for the community, the Fair has a huge impact on the local economy,” Howard said. “A 2019 study showed the economic output of the event was $18.5 million in Benton County alone.”
The Fair’s importance dates back to a history when people loved to get together and celebrate – they are a connecting point of the people and products that showcase our heritage.
“I wholeheartedly believe in fairs and what they can do for a community and the participants,” Howard said.
Whether you are a lifetime attendee or have never set foot on a fairgrounds, now is the best time to get involved in one of our country’s oldest traditions — and the Best Week of Summer.
1. Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo
1500 S. Oak St., Kennewick
509-222-3749
2. Art in the Park
89 Lee Blvd., Richland
509-943-9815
3. Tri-City Water Follies
621 N. Gum St., Ste. A, Kennewick
509-783-4675
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 12:01 AM with the headline "2020 Best Annual Community Event: Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo."