(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -It's the final day of the Spokane County Interstate Fair, which also means initial numbers are starting to file in.
"Yesterday was the highest-attended day we've had in 15 years," Rich Hartzell, the director of the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, said.
More than 40,000 attendees filed through the fairgrounds on Saturday, according to Hartzell.
So, why are there more people this year than in almost two decades?
The absence of smoke from surrounding wildfires is a major reason, according to Hartzell, along with new entertainment and exhibits.
"We were smoke-free, you could say," he said. "Our weather's been really fantastic - just the right temperature, a few clouds, a little breeze."