‘I’m excited to get it going’: 50th anniversary of Expo ‘74 starts Saturday at Riverfront Park

Fifty years ago, the World’s Fair attracted tens of thousands of people to Spokane, including President Richard Nixon, and changed the landscape of downtown.

Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of Expo ’74 and the start of a two-month celebration.

Matt Santangelo, program director of the anniversary celebration, said he’s excited to open the festivities he and many businesses, organizations and community members have been working on the last 16 months.

“I’m excited to get it going,” he said. “I mean, it’s been a lot of work.”

Centered on the environment and sustainability, Spokane in 1974 became the smallest city to host the world’s fair at the time. The fair opened May 4 with Nixon, Washington Gov. Dan Evans and Congressman Tom Foley addressing a crowd of 85,000, according to the Expo’s website.

“This is not the recreation of the world’s fair,” Santangelo said. “It’s just the 50th anniversary of the world’s fair.”

Santangelo said the 50th celebration events will highlight five pillars, including Expo legacy, environmental stewardship, tribal culture, recreation and sport and arts and culture.

He said he found experts in each of the pillars to bring the events to life.

“They had to kind of take a leap of faith because we didn’t exactly know what we were building,” Santangelo said. “We had an idea, but it wasn’t like a specific vision that we were building towards. It was really on these shoulders of these volunteers that stepped up to be leaders in each pillar that we were able to build as much as we’ve been able to build.”

The community is invited from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Riverfront Park to explore Spokane’s history, enjoy recreational activities and visit booths and vendors, according to the website.

Spokane poet laureate Mery Smith and the Spokane Youth Symphony String Quartet will perform under the Spokane Pavilion at the park.

The opening acts also include the Filipino American Northwest Association Dance Troupe, Indian Youth Club of Spokane, Native Voices, Spokane Chinese Association and more.

Santangelo said a list of dignitaries, including public officials and community leaders, will speak at 6 p.m.

An Earth, Wind and Fire cover band, called The Kalimba Band, will play afterward, and the night will culminate with a drone show displaying images celebrating the region and legacy of the Expo.

More than 125 events will be held during the celebration Saturday to July 4, Santangelo said. Most of the events are free and open to the public.

In addition to Expo, Bloomsday will create a bustling downtown atmosphere this weekend. But, Santangelo said, multiple large events gracing downtown Spokane is nothing the city hasn’t seen.

Spokane Transit Authority is offering free weekend bus rides during the two-month celebration across the downtown Spokane service area, the website said.

“We’re ready,” Santangelo said. “Spokane has proven we can run these large, huge community efforts, and we do it a few times a year with all our great events.”

Santangelo said he hopes the Expo adds to the awesome weekend.

“The idea that we fell on Bloomsday weekend with opening ceremonies was great, because Spokane’s already going to be so alive and vibrant, diverse and global,” he said.

Santangelo said he hopes people who attend the Expo gain a sense of appreciation and pride in the region.

“In a lot of ways, the spirit of Expo ’74 is very alive and strong in our community,” he said.

Santangelo said environmental groups involved in Expo and who collaborated over the last several months want to keep working together. He said he hopes the collaboration and partnerships continue after the celebration.

“You hope that this becomes a catalyst for more growth, more development of our community,” Santangelo said.