40 years ago, Spokane leaders were on the brink of hosting the world’s fair. Expo ‘74 made Spokane the city it is today, with a large park along the river, a major performing arts center, and a downtown core. On Saturday, the Spokane Parks Foundation invites the public to remember what happened here in 1974.
There’s a lot of Expo ’74 memorabilia out there. Buttons, ash trays, stickers. Heather Beebe-Stevens with the Parks Foundation says this weekend they’ll show off more unique pieces. “For instance the binder that was essentially the program and event’s staff schedule for when president Nixon opened, the opening ceremony," says Beebe-Stevens.
The foundation is hosting an exhibit at the INB Performing Arts Center that’s open to the public, followed by a gala for 550 ticket-purchasers. She says the exhibit will bring back a lot of nostalgia for people who attended the world’s fair here.
Beebe-Stevens: “But to kind of, see the kitchiness of some of this stuff, like the ash trays. So many ash trays I can’t even tell you. But then to see what it was before expo and then to look at what’s its going to become… It wasn’t just a six month party, it was really an investment in the long term future of Spokane and that’s really what we’re trying to celebrate.”
The exhibit is from noon-to-four, and the suggested donation is the same cost as the one day pass was in ‘74. It’s a fundraiser for the Parks Foundation.
Copyright 2014 Spokane Public Radio
