Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo brings the ‘best week of summer’

The Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo has a theme every year.

And this year’s — The Best Week of Summer — is particularly fitting, said Lori Lancaster, executive director.

“We have so many people who really do look forward to (the fair). It’s kind of the send-off of summer, the last week of fun before school starts,” Lancaster said. “We just like the fact that people keep coming back, and we keep developing new fair fans.”

The five-day fair runs Aug. 25-29 at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick.

The fair’s concerts always are popular, and this year’s lineup includes a mix of classic country acts, rockers and even a Disney starlet.

The three fastest-selling shows are the Chicago alternative rock band Chevelle and country stars Dwight Yoakam and Gary Allan, with reserved seating already sold out. General admission seating is available with fair admission.

Chevelle plays Aug. 25, Yoakam takes the stage Aug. 26 and Allan plays Aug. 28.

The other acts set to entertain fairgoers are the The Beatles tribute band British Export on Aug. 27 and Disney star Sabrina Carpenter and southern rock/country rockers The Marshall Tucker Band in separate shows Aug. 29.

All shows are at 8 p.m., except Carpenter’s 1 p.m. matinee.

Along with other traditional fair fun, from funnel cakes to carnival rides, some newer features are planned.

The Benton -Franklin Fair & Rodeo is the eighth stop on the PRCA Wrangler Champions Challenge. The event is at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at HomeStreet Bank Arena . It will feature several of the top rodeo competitors in the world, from Trevor Brazile to several members of the famed Wright family.

They will compete for $128,000 in prize money.

“It’s a big deal. It’s like going to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, but it will be in Kennewick,” Lancaster said.

On Aug. 27, a food truck lunch event is planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Several local food trucks, from Frost Me Sweet to Backyard Grub, will roll into the fair.

A people’s choice contest is planned, with the winner earning a spot as a vendor in next year’s fair.

Some money from the food truck event will go to the fair’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign, which raises funds for breast cancer prevention and treatment for uninsured women.

Plenty of fair favorites will return, including the pre-fair parade and the demolition derby.

The parade is at 10 a.m. Aug. 22 in downtown Kennewick. Mike Kluse, the former director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is the grand marshal.

The demolition derby is at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at the fairground’s HomeStreet Bank Arena.

The Horse Heaven Roundup Rodeo is Aug. 26-29 at the arena.

The Davis Carnival also runs daily, and hundreds of youths and adults will have entries in the fair, from animals to artwork.

The Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo is the biggest event of the year in the Tri-Cities, drawing about 117,000 people during its run.

It offers something for everyone, Lancaster said.

“If you don’t like rodeo, we have music. If you don’t like carnival rides, we have food,” she said. “There’s tons of stuff. If you can’t find something you like here, I don’t know where you can find it.”

This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo brings the ‘best week of summer’."