Sunny skies predicted for Grant County Fair
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 hour AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | August 18, 2026 3:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Fair opens today, with all its rides, food, entertainment and fun.
The weather should be some of the nicest we’ve had all summer. The National Weather Service is predicting sun with high temperatures around 90, just enough to make a cold treat seem appealing. And the smoky skies we’ve been dealing with since the summer started are clearing up.
The Washington Department of Ecology is predicting that the air will be unhealthy for sensitive groups: older adults, children, and people with heart or lung disease. But even for those folks, it’s just a good idea not to be outdoors too much, and plenty of the things to do at the fair are inside the buildings and barns. For everyone else, the air should be just fine.
The fairgrounds will be open to the public today at 10 a.m., and the carnival will open at 2 p.m. Admission to the fair is free all day today and before 3 p.m. tomorrow and Thursday. The rest of the week, tickets at the gate will be $12 for adults and $8 for youths 8-17 and seniors 62 and older, or $2 less if they’re purchased online. Children under 8 are free.
Carnival wristbands are $45, except today, when ride enthusiasts can buy one for $40 and get a second half price.
See you at the fair!
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Sunny skies predicted for Grant County Fair
MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Fair opens today, with all its rides, food, entertainment and fun. The weather should be some of the nicest we’ve had all summer. The National Weather Service is predicting sun with high temperatures around 90, just enough to make a cold treat seem appealing. And the smoky skies we’ve been dealing with since the summer started are clearing up. The Washington Department of Ecology is predicting that the air will be unhealthy for sensitive groups: older adults, children, and people with heart or lung disease. But even for those folks, it’s just a good idea not to be outdoors too much, and plenty of the things to do at the fair are inside the buildings and barns. For everyone else, the air should be just fine.
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Rodeo kicks off with barbecue, fundraisers and fun
MOSES LAKE — There was a whole lot going on at the Grant County Fairgrounds rodeo gate Tuesday, when the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Business After Hours combined with the kickoff of the Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo. “It brings out some people who only go to one or two (chamber events) a year,” said Chamber Director Debbie Doran-Martinez. “The rodeo extends an invitation to all its major sponsors.” Doran-Martinez estimated that about 250 people came out to enjoy the warm sun, cold drinks and good food. Dinner was catered by Top Gun Concessions, and consisted of barbecued ribs with beans, salads and sides.