50 years ago in Expo history: Albi Stadium fireworks frustration abates with ‘largest’ display in America – and Liberace

The Expo ’74 fireworks spectacular attended by 28,000 at Joe Albi Stadium was “the largest in the country,” according to officials, but it experienced some big-time problems.

Some attendees were delayed an hour by “one of Spokane’s worst traffic jams. Once inside, they discovered that many sections had been oversold or occupied by persons holding tickets to other sectors.”

When the public address announcer asked, “Is everyone happy?” the response was a resounding, “No!”

But the spectacular fireworks made up for it.

“The Great Fire (of Spokane) display included actors in night clothes escaping from a burning building and a large diorama depicting the burning of the city,” the Spokane Daily Chronicle said.

Another highlight: Pianist Liberace was on hand, and his famous signature was “outlined in fireworks.”

In other Expo news, Expo officials and James (Jimmy) Marks II, reached a compromise about the “Gypsy Week” celebration at Expo.

Expo said that fortune-tellers could not charge money for reading palms. Marks said that not allowing “palms to be ‘crossed with silver’ was an interference with Gypsy tradition.”

The compromise allowed money to be exchanged, but patrons could be reimbursed by Expo’s Folklife Festival.

From 100 years ago: Spokane’s Fourth of July mayhem included a number of burns caused by firecrackers. An 8-year-old girl also had an eye injury when a firecracker exploded in her hand.

There was some good news. The 2-year-old whose clothes caught on fire on the morning of Independence Day “was reported to be resting easily” after she was treated for her burns.