He loves the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo. Now he’s the fair parade’s grand marshal.

When Ken Hohenberg joined the Kennewick Police Department, one of the first major events he worked was the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo.

That was 1978. Hohenberg, now chief of the police, has hardly missed a fair since.

It’s a special community event — one he looks forward to every year, he said.

And this year, for him, it’s extra special.

Hohenberg has been named grand marshal of the annual parade that kicks off fair week. The Grand Parade starts at 10 a.m. Aug. 19, running through downtown Kennewick.

“My first thought was, don’t they normally do that for people who have retired?” Hohenberg said with a laugh.

But in all seriousness, he said, the honor means a great deal.

“It’s another one of those experiences I’ve had that’s been very, very humbling,” Hohenberg said. “I’m blessed.”

For the fair board, Hohenberg was a natural choice.

“He’s a community guy, super volunteer-spirited. I don’t think we could have picked anyone better,” said Brian Goulet, board president.

He added that Hohenberg is “someone who gives back to the community. That’s what the fair is all about.”

The fair runs Aug. 22-26 at the Benton County fairgrounds in Kennewick.

When Hohenberg worked his first fair, he hadn’t been on the police force that long. He’d just missed working the hydroplane races because he was in training. At the fair, he was paired with some more veteran officers to patrol the grounds, he recalled.

Later, when he became Kennewick’s first DARE officer, he worked a booth during the fair.

These days, he enjoys walking through the event with the police command staff, catching up with old friends and chatting with fairgoers.

“It gives you that sense of community. I think that’s one of the great things about county fairs across our country,” Hohenberg said.

The food is pretty great, too, he said. A Rotarian, he always makes a trip to the Rotary elephant ear booth. And he loves the barbecue.

He’s also had some memorable musical moments at the fair. Hohenberg is a Johnny Cash fan, and a personal highlight was seeing The Man in Black perform, he said.

The parade also is a lot of fun — and this year it will be even more so, he said.

His family, including his wife and two daughters, plan to ride along with him as he fulfills his grand marshal duties.

“I always look forward to the fair. In my life, we work all year making sure our schools are safe. Then you go into summer and there’s Fourth of the July, Water Follies, Creation Fest. Then it’s the fair,” Hohenberg said.

It’s a beloved part of summer. A special community time.

“This is going to be a great week,” Hohenberg said.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 4:30 PM with the headline "He loves the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo. Now he’s the fair parade’s grand marshal.."