Washington State Fair kicks off with handful of changes, new attractions

PUYALLUP, Wash. — Labor Day weekend is approaching, which means it’s time for the Washington State Fair.

The fun kicks off Friday in Puyallup from September 2 to September 25.

The fair, which started in 1900 in Puyallup, is the largest in the Pacific Northwest. It welcomes more than a million guests as it is the single largest attended event in the state, fair officials said.

Fairgoers will feel one of the fair’s new changes as soon as they walk through the gates.

“We have enhanced our security. There’s a lot going on in the world, so we have walk-through security now,” Stacy Van Horne, a public relations manager with Washington State Fair, said. “You won’t need to take your bags, purses, backpacks off unless it gets flagged. A lot of venues are doing that. It’s also intended to make the lines a little quicker.”

Since 1900, the Washington State Fair has held onto traditions while also embracing new attractions. A yearly fixture includes the Piglet Palace, where piglets are traditionally born during the fair … except this year.

“(The mother pig) was supposed to be due on Saturday,” Piglet Palace’s Ken Young said. “I come home from work yesterday and she had her 12 babies in the pen already. So she will come down Saturday. It’s pretty rare they come early. Usually, they come a few days late, if anything.”

There’s also new food vendors, including North Pole Snow Cones. Owner Steve James covered his food truck to the point where it’s unnoticeable. Instead of four wheels, you’ll see a Christmas-themed cabin serving snow cones.

“We’ll have a whole lot of Christmas around. We’ve got a snow machine up there going,” James said.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.

Tickets for concerts and shows are also available online. This year’s performances include Nelly, Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Shaggy & TLC, The Beach Boys, Drew Carey (‘Whose Live Anyway’ show), and more.

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