On Saturday, April 28, Connie, a college friend, and I went to the 16th Annual Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair which covered over 110,000 square feet in the new Event Center at the Clark County Fairgrounds.As the first home, garden and landscaping event of the year, this is the one place where one could shop and compare, purchase new products and plan entire building projects — all under one roof for those looking to build a home, or remodel, landscape or decorate an existing home. Or to enter, like we did, a LOT of drawings!
A couple weeks after the fair UPS delivered a HUGE box to my front porch. I could not figure out what it contained. Visions of a bomb floated through my head. It was a lamp from Bonneville Power Administration (see photo)! It must have been one of those drawings that I entered at the Home & Garden Idea Fair.
Connie topped my BPA lamp. She won the plane trip over Mt. St. Helens to tri-cities, lunch and flight back. Unfortunately it was Saturday, June 2 and she was scheduled to work. So she had to pass it up.
Clark County Fairgrounds is also the home of the Clark County Fair held in early August. This county-owned facility includes animal barns, equestrian center, stage and grandstand and commercial and exposition buildings.
If you show up before 11:00 AM on the first day of the Clark County Fair there is free admission plus a free pancake breakfast. I like wandering through the commercial buildings. Then I look at the 4-H exhibits (sewing/cooking), cats showcases, photography (sometimes) and the quilts/clothing. Sometimes I visit the arena to watch the horse shows. I rarely visit the animal barns and stables--chickens, pigs, cows, horses, etc.
The Clark County Fair has a wide variety of delicious food. Two of my favorites are Irish Potatoes and real ice cream at the Clark County Dairy Women's Booth.
Many of the performances are free with the price of the ticket. My all time favorite was the afternoon and the evening performances of Ricky Nelson and his band! I like the line from "Garden Party", "You can't please everyone so you got to please yourself".
As to the Clark County Fair crowd photo Cliff Barbour gave "limited rights to Maureen [last name omitted] for this photo to be used for Way Marking page this day 5-19-07". Copyrighted Photo by Cliff Barbour of Barbours Photography.
The fairgrounds is located at 17402 NE Delfel Road, Ridgefield, WA 98642. West of I-5 near 179th Street interchange. The coordinates are the entrance at the Blue Gate.