The 24th annual Palouse Family Fair will have about 40 agencies registered to provide resource information to families from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 10 at 190 SE Crestview St., Bldg. B. 

Last year, the event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Christine Oakley, president of the Palouse Alliance Committee. This year’s event will be done via a drive-thru. 

There is a different atmosphere when the fair is in person, Oakley said. 

“It is always remarkable for me to know that the Palouse region has such a wide variety of health and human services,” she said, “that this community comes together to say we value our families, we value providing health education and services.” 

In previous years, the fair was held at the Lincoln Middle School gymnasium, said Jessica Perone, Palouse Alliance Committee member. It would typically have up to 55 agencies and businesses that provided families with resources.  

This event is a one-stop location resource to learn about all options for any family in need of services, she said. 

Some agencies at the fair will be local dentists, Neill Public Library, Dr. Universe, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Perone said. 

“It’s important to share what is available on the Palouse and in the region to support them,” she said. 

These events are important to the Palouse because they provide access to resources, Perone said. 

Those participating in the fair do not need to get out of their vehicles because it is a contact-free event, Oakley said. 

About 100 families have registered for the event, Perone said. Registration for families has closed.

The agencies that wish to participate will have to create a minimum of 115 and a maximum of 140 small bags of information, she said. 

They will then have to drop the bags off 4-6 p.m April 9 at the WSU Recreation Center located at 1105 NE North Fairway Rd., which is WSU’s Student Recreation Center, Oakley said. 

The Palouse Alliance will put the small bags in larger reusable bags so that families can take them home, she said.