Spokane Hoopfest Starts Today

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The worlds biggest three on three street basketball tournament starts today is Spokane, Washington. This tournament lasts through the weekend ending on Sunday evening. This is a yearly event. This year forty-two blocks of downtown Spokane is blocked off with 447 courts. There is over 6,100 teams playing, 3,000 volunteers and 225,000 fans. It is estimated to bring $46 million into the city. Players come for all over the United States, Canada, China and Japan. I have never played in Hoopfest and have only gone once and watched for a short time. That particular year was hot but not as hot as last year. It had gotten up into the 100º F (38º C) range. This year it will be much cooler. The high for today is forecasted to be about 70º F (21º C) and the high tomorrow is forecasted to be about 80º F (27º C). Also going on in Coeur d’Alene today is the Half-Ironman competition. Later in the year Coeur d’Alene will host a full Ironman competition. The next big event in Spokane will be Pig Out in the Park. That’s when fifty restaurant put up booths in Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. There will be over 250 menu items all costing less than $7.95. There will be several bands playing during the event. I tried talking my brother in going down one year and he said, “Are you kidding? People get stabbed and shot downtown!” Well, that has happened but not so much during the day and not at Pig Out in the Park. Any big events happening in your city?