Walla Walla Shares More Than Sweet Onions

Over Labor Day weekend, the Fella and I decided to get out of town--not because it was a holiday weekend, but because it was his birthday weekend. Every year for years I've suggested driving out to Walla Walla, Washington, and along the way, stop by the Maryhill Museum and the replica of Stonehenge, but the Fella has always nixed that plan, telling me that we could do it on my birthday. Unfortunately, my birthday is in December, when the days are short, the weather temperamental, and the Maryhill Museum long closed for the season. For some reason this year he changed his mind-thank goodness-and we set off along the beautiful Columbia Gorge for the 4 1/2 hour drive on a sunny Friday afternoon.

I enjoy small towns. I love walking around and piddling about and getting a feel for a place. But I do like some structure to a day, so we weren't sure what we would be doing in Walla Walla, besides eating. Then, on our first night, as we walked toward the center of town for dinner, we saw this sign.

Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days: Labor Day weekend. We found a copy of the local events newspaper with a schedule. Not only was there a real fair at the fairgrounds, there would be a parade through town! This proved to the Fella that this trip would be more for me than for him, but he was game.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at the hotel and walked to Main Street. People were already setting up chairs along the sidewalk, but there was still plenty of space. We found a nice shady spot, curbside, and waited for the parade to begin (occupying ourselves in the meantime by browsing a nearby vintage and new furniture shop and picking out furniture for our future imaginary house).

The parade started off kind of slow. 

  

But then there were fire trucks. 

And a marching band.

And a classic truck with a swirl of advertising flags.

And, course, horses. 

We watched the hundred or so floats roll or prance by us. By midway, the sidewalks were full of parade-goers. Children ran out into the street to pick up pieces of candy thrown out by grown ups on horses or kids walking besides their float. Like crazed squirrels, dashing across a busy street to a nearby tree, kids blindly rushed in the street to beat the other kids to a tootsie roll, parents frantically attempting to snag a t-shirt to reign them in. No children were trampled, although at times it got dicey.

Afterward, the Fella and I walked through old Walla Walla neighborhoods to the fairgrounds. It was an easy walk, not too far from town. We paid our $9 entry fee and headed in. Like many county fairs there were food booths, rides, chickens, horses, cows, and goats. After we ate lunch, we found the Arts and Crafts building, which is always my favorite. The fruits and vegetables were shown in this building, too. I love to see the decisions people make when crafting, whether quilts or dresses or bags made of duct tape. And there is nothing like a wall of canned goods.

 In the end, Walla Walla Frontier days was a fun time for our weekend out of town and the Fella's birthday. I even won a little dog for him by tossing a dart at a balloon (popped two in one go!) 

Little Dog Enjoying Stonehenge Replica