Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo: Event, ticket, parking information

The Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo went with the theme “The Best Week of Summer” last year.

And with the elephant ears and animals, the concerts and crafts, the rides and rodeo, “it really is the best week of summer,” said Lori Lancaster, fair executive director.

So organizers are sticking with it.

This year’s fair runs Aug. 23-27 at the Benton County Fairgrounds, 1500 S. Oak St., in Kennewick. About 120,000 people are expected to attend.

They can count on all the old fair favorites — like those elephant ears, rides and rodeo — plus plenty of new attractions and offerings.

Here’s your guide to this year’s fair:

New this year

Decades ago, a street dance would help get the community in the mood for the fair, and the tradition is being revived.

A free, family friendly street dance is from 7 to 11 p.m. Aug. 19 on Kennewick Avenue between Benton and Cascade streets. The bands 3rd Date and Stompin’ Ground will perform and food will be available.

On Aug. 25, organizers plan a “$2 for a bite” event, in which all the food vendors will offer a $2 item, in many cases a smaller version of their most popular dish. The event will run from 2 to 6 p.m.

The fair also is temporarily expanding its footprint this year. It’s using space in Eastgate Park for KnockerBall, or bubble soccer, plus laser tag and a slingshot-style ride where riders are flung 300 feet into the air.

A tap house and game room will be set up at the fairgrounds, offering craft brews and games.

And fairgoers who need a break from the heat can head into the Relax and Recharge tent, which will have air conditioning, living room-style furniture, a Bloody Mary bar and a rapid charging tower for cellphones. A shaded dining area also will be nearby.

The parking areas can get dusty, so fair organizers will hunt for the “Dirtiest Car of the Night,” with the winner getting a year’s worth of free car washes from Bush Car Wash, Lancaster said.

The fair also will have wheelchairs for patrons to use this year, free of charge, thanks to the Pasco-based TiLite.

And the fair will offer free shuttles to the parking lots and other areas for patrons who need some extra help getting around.

Parade, rodeo and more

The fair’s Grand Parade traditionally winds through downtown Kennewick on the Saturday before fair week, and this year will be no different.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. Aug. 20. Longtime fair board member Harvey Underwood is the grand marshal.

At 5:30 p.m. Aug. 21, an opening ceremony and flag raising will be held at the fairgrounds. The ceremony will include dedicating the Old MacDonald’s Barn to Walter “Walt” Grisham, a longtime Pasco High School vocational agriculture teacher and FFA adviser who died last year.

The demolition derby starts at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 22. Cost is $15 for reserved seats.

The fair officially kicks off Aug. 23, with gates opening at 9 a.m. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 23-26 and from 9 a.m. to midnight Aug. 27.

The Wrangler Champions Challenge will be back again, featuring some of the top rodeo competitors in the world. It starts at 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Tickets are $15 for covered grandstand seats and $10 for uncovered.

The Horse Heaven Roundup runs Aug. 24-27, starting at 7 p.m. Cost is $10 for reserved seats. General admission seating is free.

Have a craving for curly fries or funnel cake? About 40 food vendors will be on hand at the fair.

Davis Carnival also is bringing its stable of rides, young people from around the region will show animals, and arts and crafts will be on display throughout fair week.

Concerts

This year’s concert series kicks off with Grammy-winning hip-hop legends Salt N Pepa on Aug. 23 and wraps up with rising country stars The Swon Brothers on Aug. 27.

In between, Switchfoot, Foreigner, Hunter Hayes and Olivia Holt will take the stage.

Switchfoot performs Aug. 24, Foreigner goes Aug. 25, Hayes takes the stage Aug. 26 and Holt will perform Aug. 27. All shows are at 7:30 p.m., except for Hayes’ 8 p.m. show and Holt’s 1 p.m. matinee.

Reserved seats, which cost $15, are sold out for Salt N Pepa, Foreigner and Hayes, but still remain for the other shows.

Plenty of general admission seating is available for all the concerts; it’s free with fair admission.

Ride the bus

Ben Franklin Transit is offering express service to the fair.

Pickup locations are the Knight Street Transit Center, the Tulip Lane Park and Ride in Richland, Kamiakin High School and Lampson Stadium in Kennewick; and TRAC and the 22nd Street Transit Center in Pasco. For the schedule, go to bft.org or call 509-735-5100.

A fair-bus combo ticket is $13 for adults and $7 for seniors and kids.

The bus-only cost is $1.50 one way, or $4 for a family of up to five people. Seniors ride for 75 cents with a transit ID card. Children age 5 and younger ride for free.

This year, the drop-off area at the fair is changing. Instead of letting riders off at the main gate, the buses will go to the west gate, where riders will use their own express entrance.

Tickets, parking

Fair tickets are $11 for people ages 13 and older if bought before Aug. 23, and $13 after.

Tickets are $5 for kids ages 6 to 12 and seniors age 65 and older. Children ages 5 and younger are admitted for free.

On Kids Day, which is Aug. 24, admission is $2 for youngsters ages 6 to 12.

Fair tickets are available at bentonfranklinfair.com; the fair office at 1500 S. Oak St., Kennewick; and Ranch & Home, 845 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick.

Bus passes and fair/bus combo tickets are available at Albertsons, Safeway and Yoke’s stores.

Parking is $10 per day or $40 for a season pass.

More information

For more information on the fair, go to bentonfranklinfair.com.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo: Event, ticket, parking information ."