This year's Yakima Valley Fair & Rodeo in Grandview has featured all of the annual favorite sights, sounds and tastes, while including some new thrills -- like the carnival!

The four-day affair kicked off Wednesday with the Livestock Showing, the Livestock Championship Round and the adorable Little Wrangler Rodeo. Thursday, the fun continued with the Livestock Showing, Ranch Sorting and Family Night of Praise.

I had the pleasure of once again helping out with parade announcing, which kicked off at 6:30 p.m. I was comfortably seated under a tent at the intersection of Second and Division, which provided a prime spot to watch and describe all of the amazing parade entries. Those in attendance would agree, it was a lovely evening in the quaint little town and a far cry from the 109 degrees and thick smoke we all endured last summer.

Townsquare Media / Brian Stephenson
Townsquare Media / Brian Stephenson
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One of the evening's highlights was the thunderous sounds and spectacle of the dancing horses! One can truly see how much work has gone into their prancing presentation -- both on the part of the horses and the riders, who obviously love their four-legged counterparts. I would be remiss if I didn't point out the tolerance demonstrated by the equine performers and their passengers -- especially when I began to irresistibly prattle off one horse pun after the other. Family, friends and regular listeners will be nodding their heads in agreement -- that I tend to go a little overboard. Oh, you're thinking you'd like to hear a few of my gems? Well, of course! How rude of me to tempt you. How about: "Hay, why such a long face?" (the misspelling is a bonus for readers). Or, "Fred Astaire had nothing on these hoofers!" Or, the one which fell with a particularly hard 'thud' was: "That high-stepping-hackney appears to be auditioning for 'Nuclear Weapon Presentation Days in Pyongyang!"

Jim Herriman
Jim Herriman
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All kidding aside, it was a great evening among some wonderful people, including Jim Herriman, who has been involved in the well-oiled-machine that is the Grandview Community Parade. And I look forward to the opportunity to attend next year.

The car show was a big hit today (Saturday) and tonight everyone will be enjoying the rodeo, the carnival and the beer & wine garden.

Townsquare Media / Brian Stephenson
Townsquare Media / Brian Stephenson
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If you took any pictures during these or any events in our area which you feel you'd like to share with everyone, be sure to download our free station app and send them to us. We'd like to see and share them!

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