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The Puyallup Fair
Rating Details »
Categories: Amusement Parks, Local Flavor [Edit]
110 9th Avenue S.W.Puyallup, WA 98371
(253) 841-5045
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
31 reviews for The Puyallup Fair
This is my first return to the fair since mandatory attendance in catholic grade school. I was really dreading going, as it was a firm function, but I had an awesome time and now weigh 2-3 pounds more than I did yesterday.
Highlight of the fair: mutton bustin'. [Almost] enough said. I felt a little guilty watching this, as I'm fairly certain that several small children may have permanent spinal damage as a result of yesterday's 'bustin', but, I was also pulled out of the audience to dance with Buster, the Loveable Mutton Bustin' Sheep Mascot, so comparatively, I think I'm the one left with deeper scars (the recently installed beer/wine garden helped ameliorate the instant humiliation).
Essentially, small children (under 6, under 60 pounds) are strapped into little bullet proof vests and helmets, placed on top of sheep (they are lying on top of them, with their wee little fingers clenching the sheep wool), and then the sheep shoot out of this narrow rodeo shoot and sprint toward the end of the corral. These poor little kiddos hang out for dear life, usually lasting 2-6 seconds. It Was Awesome. http://www.youtube.com...
Otherwise, the corn on a stick was excellent, ditto that for the Fisher scones, which product apparently necessitates an endless line of old ladies, who, bedecked in arm length latex, cut, butter, jam and stuff scones en masse for fair-goers. The same old gals were there stuffing scones when I left at 8, and we had arrived at 2.
Unlike David Foster Wallace's depiction of the Illinois State Fair--torpid, corpulent, sweaty masses, this crowd seemed a little more inclined toward crystal meth and lip piercing, but on a macro level, it was a pretty diverse cross-section of seattle/tacoma/puyallup community.
And, I saw someone pitch an epic puke at the end of the swing ride. Fortunately for me, he was down wind. Unfortunately for the crowd, he was right above them.
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This was my first visit to the fair and it wasn't all that special. Nothing too eventful or exciting. But The food was okay, kettle popcorn was delicious, and ice cream was YUUUUUMMMY.
Not sure that I would return next year, except maybe for the kettle popcorn :P
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I don't know maybe I am just getting old
But this is the first year I can say I didn't really have fun at the fair, I was kinda happy when we got there that it wasn't to busy or crowded
then we went and got a burger and it was smaller than I remember it being in past years, the onions were just right and it was fresh and hot, but I felt like the old Wendy's commercial ( Where's the Beef ?)
then we went to check out the 4H stalls and had a fun time checking out the different animals, didn't see the pigs tho not sure why
then we went looking for the Everything Fried booth, finally we found it and we ordered up a fried Twinky, and Alligator on a Stick, plus some Chocolate covered Bacon, the Bacon was the only really good thing out of the bunch, the batter on the Alligator was so think I couldn't tell if there was even any Alligator on the stick, a total waist of $23 in my eyes and that's what I came for was the fried stuff I can't get the rest of the year !!
and $ 3.25 for a fucking bottle of water ?? Please, thank G-D the kid at the booth was like, hey the Mountain Mist people have a water booth inside that building, and they are selling bottles of water for a Buck !!
I know its the fair and its gonna cost more but that is crazy, if you need to take advantage of people wanting to come spend there hard earned bucks, well then leave me out there are a lot more places to spend my money
this may be my last time doing the Puyallup ):
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The nice thing about the fair is that it is fairly small and the weather is pleasant and makes walking around all day not too bad. If you forget something you wanted to see you can get there fairly quickly. I thought there would be more livestock at the fair and other exhibits.
I was really excited about having fair food. I was thinking on the scale of Texas fair foods. If you can fit it into a fryer then you can fry it kind of thing. (Fried icecream, coke, smores, oreos, snicker bars, cheesecake, pie to name a few, and of course the fabulous corny dog which trumps the meh $4 corn dog at Puyallup fair.) I can't believe the food prices at the fair. Almost everything was around $6 and up except for scones, which didn't tasted more like a biscuit, which were $1.25 each. I do feel horribly gouged. Especially on the corn dogs which weren't even crunchy on the outside and the breading came off too easily :\
We went on 2 roller coaster ride and the ferris wheel which gives you a nice view of the area but is smallish.
Going to the fair just made me miss the Texas State Fair even more.
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The fair brings back a lot of memories for me when I went with my family and friends way back in the day.
The thing is that the rides and all of the games are pretty much exactly the same, which is good. The bad is that now the prices are higher for the exact same rides and games.
The exhibits and farm animals are worth a short trip alone. I also tried the drunk goggles from the Washington State Patrol - they work, and I failed my fake sobriety test. We were also lucky to catch a few of the fisherman from the Deadliest Catch at the end of their time signing autographs at the far.
The food, especially the scones, were delicious. I need to get some of that mixture for home!
If you want to go on a weekday afternoon, you can catch the Sound Transit Sounder commuter train that will drop you off 6 blocks from the fair entrance. On the way back we took the Pierce Transit shuttle to the Tacoma Dome transit center and caught the Sound Transit Express #594 straight back to Seattle. Much easier that trying to fight traffic and parking to Puyallup!
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I just love the fair...we don't really have these in San Francisco so it is always a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of city life.
They have an enormous array of activities for the old and young...from free exhibits showing the fair's history, 4H animals scattered along the back of the fairgrounds, to rides and carnival games. There are also rodeos and concerts if that is the kind of thing you are into...there is an extra cost for those activities but I am not sure how much they are as I have never ventured in.
The food selection is massive...from earthquake burgers to Belgian fries, teriyaki to yakisoba, piroshikies to corn fritters. There is something for everyone there and although the prices have gotten higher than previous years that is expected since 1) you are at a fair so you can expect the prices to be higher than normal and 2) our current economy isn't providing much relief for these business owners. YOU MUST TRY THE SCONES. There is always a long line but don't fret...just wait and you shall be rewarded. I always get a dozen and bring them home for friends to share.
If you buy the tickets in advance it is $8.00 for an adult and well worth the price. I have gone every year for the last 5 years and enjoyed myself immensely. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes...the fair is bigger than most people think and there is limited seating so be prepared.
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I'm still recovering from chowing down the Earthquake burger and a strawberry shortcake. Eff.
I don't know about you, but when I think of fairs, I think of food. Not of cute animals and rides - FOOD.
Yes, it is overpriced but in my eyes, pigging out on an Earthquake burger once a year is worth the $10.
I regret not getting an elephant ear but by that point I was quite miserable and not to mention quite hot and sweaty.
They also have a beer/wine garden which was nice. It was a good break getting away from the strollers to enjoy a cold one.
Gotta admit, I think I've grown out of the Puyallup fair. I'll definitely be back when I have my own little wee ones but for now, I might be on fair hiatus till then.
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Well I've been here a few times and it just keeps getting pricier every year, and just plain crowded, to the point where it's no fun, but I'm getting older so maybe my view is biased. But I got ripped off everytime I bought something to eat, just not right.
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This one is a blast! Yes, you have to drive a way from Seattle. Yes, you get your shoes dirty and you also dusty! Who cares? It's the Puyallup! You are doing it! Cows, chickens, pigs, booths, ahhh barbecue, say it again.. barbecue... mmmm
Displays, friendly folks. A child petting zoo.
Well-known acts.
No cotton candy for me. You? I'm having barbecue!
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Nice time with the family here. My nephew loved seeing the livestock and he and I went on a few of the kiddie rides together and he had a blast. The food was ok. The corn dog I got wasn't my favorite though because the coating was bland and had almost no flavor. I did get a cow chip chocolate chip cookie which was nice and tasty.
I am toren between a 1 and 2 star this year. Maybe it's me or maybe it is the hardship many are facing this year but it seems like the fair is out of reach money wise. For myself and one other person I spent just under $70! $16 to get in (thanks Slaveway), $13.75 for two cheese burgers and a small soda (no ice) and $23 and some change for some fried food and $15 for stuff for my phone. As you can see the bulk of the spending was on food the main reason why people go there. Come on! This is crazy! And the organizers wonder why attendance as of a few days ago was down? It's the prices you fuck tards! I am not sure I want to go back now that money is tight. I feel that I could have spent that money on better food and a better experience. Bring the prices down a buck or $3 and then we'll talk. But $5 and some change for a Mc Donalds quality cheese burger is a bit out of my range these days. So yeah don't count on me too much being there next year. Buh bye!
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/20/2008
I've been doin the fair since I was a fetus! I never tire of going and sometimes I go a couple… Read more »
Went to the fair on Saturday with 2 little boys. Pretty entertaining. Lots of walking involved. Parking was alright - paid $10 to park in some apt building parking lot. Then to the fair we went. Buy your tickets at Safeway beforehand and save a few bucks. Split an Earthquake burger and an order of fish and chips for lunch. I didn't notice anything extraordinary about the burger other than the size... Afterwards, we walked off lunch and took the kids on their rides. $15 for 20 tickets. The rides the boys went on took 4 tickets and I rode for free on most of them. I had to pay to ride the little train ride with them though. We watched the Jest in Time clowns and they were FUNNY! After the show- the kids all got free books so that was a wonderful touch. Now we have a Babar book for our library. All day long at the fair we noticed the kids shooting these bubble gun toys. A gazillion bubbles everywhere. We bought each of the kids one before we left. $13 but the boys went nuts over then on Sunday! Kind of an expensive day but the boys were entertained and had lots of fun so it's all good!
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Growing up in Puyallup, you get pretty fair'd out. But then it comes around again the next year and you are ready to go again!
It is supposedly the 7th largest fair in the United States. It has the biggest midway I have seen at a fair. And you can get a bracelet on select days to ride all of them for one price. There is a seperate kiddie rides bracelet if you don't want to do the whole package.
The fair has its own aroma, and you smell it for 3 weeks of the year when you live in town. Its absolutely wonderful. Makes your mouth water!
The traffic can get a bit heavy and tiresome, but there is plenty of parking and something to see for everyone in the family. Wear your best walking shoes or you will be sorry!
Some good concerts come here every year, but the prices keep going up and up. And its not the greatest venue in the world. Paying $70 to see someone here is not my idea of a good thing. Its not always good weather in September and you can end up freezing and wet.
The fair has done some upgrading in the recent past that are definitely valuable to their facilities. I am glad they are trying to keep up with the times. They outta, they make boat loads of cash every year!
The best thing for multiple people going together is to plan ahead and purchase the fair package at Safeway. You save alot of money and you also get some game coupons. Or if your schedule permits, go on opening day in the morning and get in for free!
All in all, its a great family outing. And if you are not the family type, always good for entertainment and activities for the day.
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My history with the Puyallup Fair goes all the way back to '78.
My 2nd birthday was spent at the fair. And every birthday thereafter until I was 17 my "party" consisted of my parents letting me choose 2 friends to take with me, and them handing me a wad of cash and letting us loose. Ok, I had to wait to be let loose until I was about 11, but you get the idea.
Like the constant battle over "authentic", you cannot judge this fair and compare it to the amusement parks or boardwalks of your "not west coast hometown". it's Washington. It's Puyallup. It's a state fair. Most of our state is *not* hip, hipster or swank. Its' country
That said, some of the happiest memories of my childhood are related to this fair.
As if it's any suprise that I'm kind of an odd ball...in my family I was even more so. I am the only member of my immediate family who likes roller coasters. Let me rephrase that. They LOATHE them and I LOVE them.
Every year had it's traditions. There were must do's, must see's, must eat's.
Eats: Funnel cakes, onion burgers and scones.
Do's: rides, spin paint on a frisbee, colored sand do-do birds
see's: the neverending booths of "jewelry" and other trinkets. The "as seen on TV' kitchen stuff and all the associated demonstrations were always a hoot. Logger rodeos (love me a burly man who can weild dangerous power tools and carve me shit)
I learned a lot from attending the fair. most importantly, how to move through a crowd. Being able to cry on command and not being afraid to yell things like "My dad is having a heart attack" or, "she's going to be sick get out of the damn way" made for ease of movement through the densest crowds.
Now, I've outgrown a lot of the fair, it doesn't hold quite the same torch for me...but my youngest daughter was born the day after me.
My inner child squeals with delight whenever HER birthday rolls around, and we pack up those 2 friends and hit the road headed for Puyallup!
DO IT!
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Been "Doing the Puyallup" for years. There used to be a kind of sawdust/bark on the grounds instead of asphalt.
Absolutely have to hit the onion burgers and the scones; fair staples.
It's always been a little spendy but this year the prices seemed kind of high. $10 to $15 to park somewhat close or in the fair parking lots, $10 admission. Prices seemed moderate inside. The beer and wine garden was new last year and a nice addition.
This should be a good year for the fair, the weather has been fantastic. Enjoy!
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I don't really like fairs all that much, but I can't bear to give the Puyallup fair less than 5 stars...
It's like a holiday in Puyallup...seriously, we would get a half day off school and free tickets to go. It's basically just a normal fair, but bigger. I know, I know, very nondescript...but how much can one say about Elephant Ears and shoddy carnival rides??
I spent countless hour of junior high earning extra credit by standing on the street waiving a "Fair Parking" sign. That's just how we roll in Puyallup...
The worst part: Those of us who actually LIVE in Puyallup have to deal with mass amounts of traffic for THREE weeks. Traffic that is so bad, you want to plan your grocery shopping around it, not even kidding.
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I have done the Puyallup four times in my life. First I dont remember. Second I was eight with my sisters and grandpa. Third was last year, fourth was this year.
And unless it's fried or made of sugar- don't expect too much out of fair food. That being said- I am pretty awesome at shooting games and that roller ball thing and next year I wanna hit the big hammer! They had Zebras, and yaks, and miniature horses, and I didn't get to see the pigs though. IT all smelled but it was awesome.
I won a raccoon, he's on my desk right now. It's fun for everybody but I do not recommend going on the last day. Everyone has their hung over teenage children running the booths and everyone will tell you it's been a long month with this despair laden, war-torn look on their face. That kinda killed the buzz. They could at least lie to me and say how fun it was for them. The magic was sort of suffocated there.
If I go next year I'll probably do it in shifts: Beginning of the day with kids and family, middle of the the day with older sisters, nighttime go to a concert or a rodeo. I have never seen a rodeo and it sounds awesome.
Dear Puyallup Fair,
Wow. Last night was...amazing. At first, when I tasted the Strawberry Shortcake ($5), I was a little wary. But by the time you had your Roasted Corn ($3) in my mouth, I knew we had something hot (and salty...and roasted). So I took you for a wooden roller coaster ride (6 tickets) and you blew me the heck out of town!
By the time I had my lips on your Krusty Pup ($4), I knew I still wouldn't be able to resist those hot Fair Scones ($1 each) that I'd been thinking of since our last escapade. It was worth it. Every buttery, rich bite stuffed with raspberry jam was worth it.
True, your Ferris Wheel (5 tickets) bored me. But the sweet Airbrused T-Shirt depicting an amazing cheesy palm beach scene and the name "Mandi" scrolled across it ($25) made me a believer once again.
You can take all the mullets in the world. You can take all the acid washed jeans, missing teeth and Motley Crue Mirrors (approximately 50 bucks). You can have your blue-ribboned quilts and many varieties of domestic chickens. Just promise me one thing: promise me you'll be back again next year.
Your Summer girlfriend,
Mandi
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It's a Doozy.
It says so right on the sign.
This was my second visit to the Puyallup, the last time was five years ago. What a blast. Yes, it's crowded and everything cost twice what it's worth, but where else can you get completely saturated with Americana.
The fair has everything: Comedy, from jugglers to hypnotists; Drama, check out the 4-H kids showing their animals; Music, in heavy doses of country, bluegrass and American roots music; Romance, I'm not sure which was more romantic, the rooster trying to woo the chicken in the next cage or the two young lovers walking arm in arm, her carrying the gigantic teddy bear which cost him $50 to "win"; Action/Adventure, two words - Sling Shot; Suspense, OK that really comes later when you get home and your belly is reeling and you wait to see if you picked up E. coli from one of the many sketchy food booths you visited and even Birth Control, listen to a child screaming because it's mother won't buy it another ice cream cone and see if something in you doesn't shrink just a little.
Highlights of the day included the draft horse exhibition(be sure to check this out), the giant slide, the animals and, of course, the food! Our consumption included: BBQ ribs and pork, a huge fried onion, spicy polish sausage, funnel cakes, elephant ears, Mongolian stir fry, roasted corn, ice cream, corn dogs (damn, its amazing I am not sick this morning).
We also paid a visit to the bear and wine garden. They had all of the American beer staples i.e. Bud, Miller, etc. but the wine selection was actually very nice. The Wines, all from the Northwest, were available by the glass or for $5 you could get three samples. I had a cab from Sandhill Vineyards, a Red Mountain winery which is making some excellent wines.
Finally, be sure to check out the infomercial guys. These guys are salesmen extraordinaire. They have the answer to any question about their products and it is always exactly what you want to hear. One of our party was enticed into buying a cloth which cleans glass without any chemicals, just spray on water and wipe. and I live the guys who sell the knives which will cut through anything. They get so excited about slicing an aluminum can.
Time is running out so go Do The Puyallup.
It's A Doozy
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Its that time of year again. Time to gather the kids and friends and head to the puyallup fair. I love the fair. In order to prepare for the fair-starve yourself the day before, load up on the Benjamin's, find comfortable walking shoes. Some of the highlights.
1. Glass multi-colored sand birds with crazy eyes and beak. Don't you ever wonder what happened to all of them that you created over the years. I went to a garage sale a few months ago where they had one for sale for $5 and when I asked about it they claimed it was personalized art. You could take a dump in the toilet and call it personalized art!?
2. Petting farm. Lots of terrified animals that are twitchy and just waiting for some kid to leave the pen door open for a moment too long to make their escape. I took my kids in there and made sure to scrub them down as if they were doctors about to perform surgery afterwards before they had the chance to touch anything or put their fingers in their mouths. They have signs all over the place that basically say ecoli breeding ground, wash your hands.
3. Rides. All the rides have lines almost as long as the women's bathrooms at nightclubs. You stand in this long line for 15 minutes for a ride that is sure to make you dizzy watching the little ones since it just goes round and round for a total of 2 minutes. The kids love them. Since we went with friends I had a chance to ride some of the adult rides this year and they spun, dove, sped all over the place. Caution some rides are best experienced before filling up with fair food.
4. The food. You really need to spend all day there so you can pace yourself. We started out with the corn dog-not so good as in past years. Then had an elephant ear which is good for getting the kids nice and sticky. Later on in the evening we found ourselves toting around an ear of corn. When you think about it how strange would it be to see someone walking around outside of the fair eating an ear of corn in public. We had to get the earthquake burger and brick of fries. That almost did us in but the kids had to have cotton candy. I am expecting belly aches tomorrow.
5. Impulse purchases. We managed to not get sucked into the mop,dicer,defogger,jeweler cleaning,orthopedic insert, mink oil lotion,twisty turban, snow globe presentations. I did make a few purchases for some cool stuff. Some food, jewelery and candles. It is all fun to watch.
6. Chainsaw bear massacre. These guys are cool to watch. Take a tree stump, some powerful manly chainsaw, sawdust flying all over the mesh enclosed area to protect the public and behold... a little bear with his hand stuck in the honey jar. I know I want one of those in adorning my front yard. This is personalized art.
So much to experience that we might just have to go back again before it ends.
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This is the best !
I grew up in Sacramento,CA and every year the city hosted the annual California State fair , which is by far much much bigger than the Puyallup Fair, like 5 Puyallup fairs maybe more in one area . HOWEVER bigger isn't better !
The Puyallup fair has flair, aura, ambiance, charisma,washington vibes, and most importantly amazing food ! It's eat til you puke at the puyallup fair!
Piroshkys,earthquake burgers,elephant ears, raw milk from a cow, krusty pups and more ! it's a menagerie of goodness! Parking sucks
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The Puyallup Fair is a huge tradition in Puyallup, Washington. For people who have never been to it you have to go. It is a once in a lifetime experience.
The food, while expensive is good. The rides are okay, but remember this is a fair not an amusement park. The best part of the fair is the animals and the shows!
Do the Puyallup!
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This is a real fair. My family has been coming to this fair since the 60's. I think each of us got lost at least once - I know I did. Collectively we (or maybe just me...!) have consumed either a bushel or a peck of hot Fischers Scones with strawberry jam over the years.
I love visiting the farm animals and displays of jam and other foods people have submitted for judging.
Crowded? Yes. Parking hell? Sure.
It's a REAL fair - just go.
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Do The Puyallup
Words/Music by Saxon Rawlings, 1976
Based on the original slogan by Denny Hinton
You can do it at a trot
You can do it at a gallup
You can do it real slow
So your heart won't palpitate
Don't be late
Do the Puyallup!
All the people and the animals down at the fair
Do the Puyallup like they didn't have a care
And it looks like so much fun to do
I think I'm going to learn how to do it too
Saw a duck and a chicken down by the farm
Kickin' up the hay and raisin' such a storm
That I asked the farmer what they were up to
And he said, "the Puyallup" that's what they do!
You can do it at a trot
You can do it at a gallup
You can do it real slow
So your heart won't palpitate
Don't be late
Do the Puyallup!
You can do it in the rain or the sun or the fog
It comes real easy, like rolling off a log
Get a partner from Tacoma or Seattle or Fife
We'll even let you do it with your husband or wife.
(several verses...)
You can do it at a trot
You can do it at a gallup
You can do it real slow
So your heart won't palpitate
Don't be late
Do the Puyallup!
Do the Puyallup!
Do the Puyallup!
(Repeat/Fade out)
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One of things I miss most about home is being able to go to the Puyallup Fair. The Fair used to give my grade school, which was around the corner, free admission tickets. A gang of us would go whenever September rolled around.
I miss the messy curly fries that you can order by the armload. I relish the Hawaiian shaved ice and Elephant Ears. I reminisce about the little pigs races or the 4H displays. I remember the guys who used to parachute into the adjacent arena or buying the bracelet and going on ride after ride.
No other Fair compares. Do the Puyallup!
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Oh dear. I hate to rain on the parade of the folks out west (but, hey, y'all live in Washington, so you're probably used to it) the NC state fair has this one beat by a mile! More like 2, 975 miles!
I had the pleasure of attending the Puyallup Fair on a business trip out west. A group of us went there on the afternoon of Sept. 11. We had a specific event that we were attending - the give away of the Purple Heart Mustang from Puyallup Ford. Twelve recipients of the Purple Heart had been selected as finalists, and some of the Soldiers that we work with were in that group. We got there around 4:30 or so, and had some time to kill. My most favorite thing about state fairs is hands down, the animals. Maybe it's the food? Ok, two way tie: animals and food. We had a late lunch, so food wasn't first on my mind. I went off to go walk through the barns.
DISAPPOINTMENT reigned.
Two of the three horse barns were closed to visitors (horses being my top priority.) The draft horse barn was open, but they were all being fed and had their backsides turned out to the aisle. I appreciate a horse's rear end as much as the next equine junkie, but really I was looking for a little face time. Ok, so I'll make my way through some of the other barns and say hi to the cows and goats. Goats are pretty great. They usually have an opinion or two to share with you. I did get to pass the time with a few pygmy goats. They were cuties, but things took a turn for the worse once I made it to the cows. As I walked through the cow barn, it was practically empty. There were maybe 8 cows still lounging around their stalls. This was the dairy cow barn, with an enclosed milking station at one end. Across from that was an affront to milk cows everywhere. There was a set up with a FAKE cow that one could go in an pretend to milk. At the NC State Fair, there's a REAL cow that all the city slicker kids can actually milk. A fake cow?!? Really?!?! There must be some dairy farmer in the great state of Washington that has a cow or two with agreeable temperaments who wouldn't mind volunteering for the milking job. Just sayin'.
I have never in my life seen so many hot tub sales tents set up. There had to be at least 15. Do people really go to the fair to buy a hot tub? There was also lots of other crap being hocked. I saw several groups sitting down for cookware demonstrations. Who buys pots and pans at the fair? Odd.
I did finally wade into the shallow end of the food offerings. The kettle corn was yum, and the scones were delicious. Warm with butter and jam. So good. I'm glad I got to have one of the fair's staples.
Good people of Washington, I know that you're very proud of your fair, but I invite you to come to North Carolina in October and see how it's REALLY done! You can even milk a real live cow!
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I'm torn between memories of pure enjoyment I had here as a kid, and the last couple hellish trips I took here as an adult.
You have gotta love crowds to stay in a receptive mood or you just wander around all bitter and mean.
I think I'm more the bitter and mean type than the happy carefree type. There are still some things I like: Crusty pups with LOTS of mustard...Fisher scones with jam...mmm...fair burgers with lots of grilled onions (USED to be good, now questionable at best). Oh yeah, and a GIANT Pina Colada flavored Orange Julius that you dump a bottle of Meyer's Rum into that you snuck in. This will get you kicked out, but only if they catch you. They won't catch you if you go in a bathroom to mix your drink. Wandering around the Fair at dusk with a big ole boozie drink is the BOMB. Only problem is last time I did this was around 1992 or 93. Do they even have Orange Julius there anymore? Do they have rum? Is there air? You don't know!!!
Oops sorry, I digress. I'm getting frikkin old!
The rides are really fun, just make sure you have someone there who will go on the rides you like. Nothing like being mismatched and you end up on the Enterprise (is that it's name?) with your thighs clamped around a stranger while you're spun around a full circle.
If you like the midway and throwing rubber frogs at baskets, you deserve all the nasty moldy giant turquise pandas you can fit in the trunk of your car. TIP: If she doesn't already like you enough to make out behind the cotton-candy shack without a 4 foot tall sawdust filled horse, it ain't gonna get you any closer. After 5 hours carrying that fu**er around she'll be looking for any excuse to leave.
Yay fairs!
The animals smell. pee yew.
Bring comfy shoes.
Sneak in some rum.
See ya there?
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Exactly as I remember it only way less work and way more fun with just my son.
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as annoying the traveling (driving), finding parking, walking for hours, screaming children, the perverts checking you & friends out, the animal stench, the litter, the prices of tickets & rides, and the overall pains of a hot day- i STILL love this fair. "do the puyallup. just don't be late... do the puyallup." puahaha. i still remember the song.
i've been coming here since i was a toddler. when we first lived in Seattle back in the 80's, my brother and i went to the Puyallup Fair in hopes of big ol' rides and yummy food. that's what we got, and more. fascinating new "AMERICAN FOOD"- funnel cakes, the mouth watering and tantilizing scones w/ raspberry preserves, lemonade, cotton candy, caramel apples, elephant ears (which we were skeptical of because of the name), and curly fries!!!! man, i think that's when we instantly fell inlove with America. we begged our daddy to never move back to Japan or Korea again. (but we did a year later haha!)
it's funny... all those things i mentioned above- it's like it's stapled to my brain. i STILL enjoy those very things even as an adult. it's a tradition to hit up Puyallup every year with my friends. i get all those foods except i add some liquor to my lemonade! haha. i love their concert series, but i'm mostly there to win prizes, eat, and ride the zipper or kamikaze. yup
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I've read that this is the biggest event in the state of Washington, and trying to get there and park convinces me it's true. Not to mention the throngs of people. However, there's something to be said for traditional fun and I've gone every few years my entire life. It's fun. Crowded, but fun. Visit the animal barns, ride the roller coaster, eat candied apples, watch a rodeo, admire quilts, let the carnies take your money as you try to knock over milk bottles - it's all in good fun. There's litter on the fairway, lines at all the rides and lots of animal smells and if you can't appreciate the context you won't like it. If you know what to expect you'll welcome it.
My husband & I always make it our tradition to the Puyallup Fair every year. We're going on our 6th year since we've been married. Both us us aren't into the rides not like our trips to Disneyland, but we love to have fun. The only tiny gripe I have are the pushy people selling they're stuff in the pavillion, but we smile and/or not make any eye contact with them.
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Do the Puyallup! I've been going to this fair for over twenty years now and each year it gets better and better. It's worth the price of admission just to check out the craft and hobby displays each year. There are some crazy rides as well and the elephant ears and cotton candy are unbeatable. The scones here are world-famous. It's the second largest fair in the nation!
