Bloglander

Love a day at the park, specifically Riverfront Park? This Saturday is designed for people like you, as the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Division throws a day-long "Thank You Spokane" party that includes free rides all day for the first 10,000 people, as well as raffles, $1 hot dogs, live music from local artists and a beer garden. It all gets started at 10:30 am and runs until 6 pm. 

You might be thinking, "Thank me? For what?" Well, nearly 70 percent of you (at least those of you who voted) spent Election Day last November helping pass a  $64-million bond geared toward a number of improvements that will revitalize downtown's sprawling playland. Those improvements are slated to begin after Labor Day. 

In a release this week, Park Board President Chris Wright called the event "our way of expressing our gratitude to the community for supporting the revitalization of the centerpiece of our community." 

So, what's in store? Here's the schedule for the day: 

10:30 am — Attendees can get their wristbands for riding the park's attractions all day long, as well as collect raffle tickets for prizes including a park season pass, five aquatic passes and five passes for 18 holes of golf at all four city courses
10:45 am — City and park leaders speak
10:55 am — The raffle is held for those prizes
11 am — The park attractions open and you can grab $1 hot dogs and a special edition No-Li beer at the Fountain Cafe as the Sehome High School Band performs. 
1 pm — Hear music from local bands Fusbol, Left Over Soul (L.O.S.) and Nu Jack City with Max Daniels
6 pm — The party is over, but there is plenty else going on around town, like Cherry Poppin' Daddies at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park starting at 6 pm.  UPDATE: Cherry Poppin' Daddies has been canceled.