SPOKANE, Wash. — The time has come for the celebration of a world fair that put Spokane on the map.
The 50th celebration of Expo '74 officially begins on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The celebration kicks off with the opening ceremony at the Spokane Pavilion in Riverfront Park. According to Visit Spokane's website, the event will feature cultural performances from the Spokane Youth Symphony String Quartet, Filipino American Northwest Association Dance Troupe, Indian Youth Club of Spokane, Native Voices, Spokane Chinese Association and more.
The free event starts at 3 p.m., with the opening ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. with a Pillar Procession, featuring representatives and voices from Expo '74's past, present and future. This will usher the city of Spokane into nine weeks of celebration.
A detailed description of performers can be found here.
Here are some of the other events you have to look forward to during the Expo '74 50th celebration.
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are hosting "Catch the Spirit of '74," with a celebration and fireworks at Avista Stadium on May 4. Players will be wearing specialty jerseys that will be available for auction later this season.
The Indians will take the field against the Eugene Emeralds at 5:10 p.m. Tickets for the game range from $11 to $27.
The Indians will host a variety of other theme nights in celebration of the 50th anniversary:
- Sunday, May 19 is the Grandparent's Day Game.
- Sunday, June 2 is the Youth Sports Day Game.
- Sunday, June 9 is Ballpark Bugs & Stadium Snakes Day Game.
You can purchase your tickets for any of the games here.
Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Festival
Riverfront Park will be home to the Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Festival from May 10 to 12.
- May 10, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.- Vietnamese Heritage Day
- May 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Luau & Fire Knife Show from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
- May 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"With activities for the whole family including a luau, fire dancers, kids' craft stations and petting zoo, you won't want to miss this signature EXPO community event," Visit Spokane said in a statement.
Entrance to this event is free.
Junior Lilac Parade
Apart of a long-standing tradition in Spokane, the Junior Lilac Parade starts at 11 a.m. on May 11.
Parade goers will see a variety of elementary and middle school bands, drill teams, youth organizations and other clubs. The parade is free to the community.
Spokane Velocity FC
The newest addition to Spokane is taking part in the celebration with a game on May 19 at 3 p.m.
"This is an incredible opportunity for our community to experience how far our City has come in the celebration theme area of sports and recreation. Spokane Velocity FC is Spokane’s first-ever professional soccer club and ONE Spokane Stadium sits where many Expo activities took place in 1974." said Visit Spokane.
Soccer fans are encourages to come dressed like it is 1974.
To buy tickets, click here.
Pride History and Remembrance Project
The Spokane Pavilion lobby will host the Pride History and Remembrance Project from June 4 to 9.
The project will tell the story of Pride in the Spokane community through many local organizations.
Viewing is available Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to this event is free.
Spokane's Got Talent - '74 Edition
Got talent? Here's your chance to show it off. Expo '74 is hosting "Spokane's Got Talent" which is a family friendly talent competition that will showcase the funky vibes and iconic styles of the 70's.
Auditions will be held on May 20 and 21 at the Spokane Civic Theatre, and registration for the auditions are open right now. You can sign up here.
The show will be held on June 20 at 6 p.m. in the Pavilion at Riverfront Park.
Closing Ceremony
To wrap up the historic celebration, Riverfront Park will host the closing ceremonies with a 4th of July celebration starting at 4 p.m. The ceremonies will include a summer carnival with rides and food, finishing with a firework show lighting up the sky starting at 10 p.m.
Admission to the event is free.
History of Spokane Expo '74
In 1974, Spokane became the smallest city to ever hold a world's fair, an international exposition held from May 4 to Nov. 3.
J. William T. Young's article, "The Fair and the Falls: Spokane's Expo '74, Transforming an American Environment" details the complex history of Expo '74.
According to Young, the expo attracted over five million visitors to the small city of Spokane. The theme was "the environment," ten counties hosted pavilions on the official site, including the Soviet Union, Japan and the United States.
Spokane made the decision to host a world's fair due to the desire to clean up and reclaim the land along side the Spokane River. After the fair concluded, Spokane leadership decided to convert the downtown area into a public park, which is now known today as Riverfront Park.
Before hosting the exposition, leadership in Spokane wanted to solve two urban problems. First, railroad tracks ran through the core of the city, becoming the root of constant traffic jams.
"Trains and automobiles were all mixed up," said King Cole, also know as the 'Father of Expo '74'. "Those trains would be moving freight and you would get your car down on Howard Street at one of those train crossings. And you’d see the end of the train coming, coming, coming, coming and just as you're ready to cross -- load her up and get going -- the whole thing stops and goes backward again. This is how it was. It was silly that this was happening in this day and age, but it was happening every day, all the time" (Youngs, 162).
The second urban problems stemmed from the stacked tracks. The tracks and the big depots cut downtown Spokane off from the river and its Spokane Falls.
In September 1971 the Spokane City Council voted for a $5.7 million bond issue which would effectively remove the railroad tracks and trestles, making the expo a reality. In October of the same year, then U.S. President Richard Nixon gave the Spokane Expo his official sanction.
In 1972, Washington Congress received $11.5 million to build the Pavilion, the iconic staple of Riverfront Park.
Later that year, the railroads were cleared. Two train depots were also torn down, all except for one piece of the Great Northern depot. The 155-foot-tall clocktower, which became another iconic staple of the fair and Spokane itself.
The same year, President Nixon issued an official proclamation inviting the world to Spokane's Expo '74.
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