MONROE — It’s 12 days of animals that have been carefully groomed and vegetables that have been carefully grown. It’s sweet ice cream treats and deep-fried everything. It’s races and shows by day, fireworks and flashing carnival rides by night.
It’s time for the 108th Evergreen State Fair.
Longtime favorite activities and entertainers are returning to the Monroe fairgrounds, 14405 179th Ave. SE, from Thursday to Sept. 5. The hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except Sept. 5, when the fair closes at 7 p.m. Adult tickets are $12, with a $4 discount for people over 62, or between 6 and 15 years old. Children under 6 and people over 90 get in free. There is a separate charge for parking at the fairgrounds.
The fair theme this year is “Fun for the Whole Herd.” In a note for the annual fair guide, the county parks director and the fair manager wrote that the fair is based on fun and, admittedly, some bad puns. But the event also has the ability to bring people together to share their talents and strengthen the sense of community in Snohomish County, they said.
Most of the days of the fair have their own themes, including admission discounts. Opening Day on Thursday is free admission for everyone up until 1 p.m. Both Fridays of the fair are free admission with the donation of three cans of food for Snohomish County food banks. There are discounts on other days, and a Senior Citizen’s Day Aug. 29 and Armed Forces Day Sept. 2. Seniors and those who serve in the military or as first responders get in free on their days.
Special entertainment at the fair includes country, rock and Christian concerts at the main stage, a long line-up of talent at the courtyard stage and a three-day rodeo over Labor Day weekend.
The Evergreen State Fair is the largest fair in Snohomish County and has deep roots here. There was a county fair in Snohomish back in the late 1800s. From 1916 until the Great Depression, the county’s main fair was held in Granite Falls. It moved to Monroe in the 1940s and officially became the Evergreen State Fair in 1949, according to the Monroe Historical Society and Museum.
Some of the vendors expected at the fair this year have been there for decades, such as Ziegler’s Bratwurst Haus, celebrating 45 years. There also are displays and exhibits with long histories at the event. The Monroe Historical Society’s Shannahan Cabin Hosts feature has been there for 40 years.
That doesn’t mean there’s a lack of new ideas. Three new activities are being highlighted at this year’s fair. The first is the Wenatchee Youth Circus, which performs at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. on opening day at the north end of the fair grandstand. A Fairfest 3-on-3 basketball challenge on Aug. 26 and 27 is another addition. To register for the tournament, go to fairfest.org.
Also new this year is a youth livestock show at 6 p.m. Aug. 27. It’s a live auction to bid on cows, goats, sheep, swine, rabbits and poultry that were raised by locals between 9 and 21 years old. It teaches young people how to raise, market and auction livestock.
In a welcome letter for fairgoers, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers urged families to spend a few days at the fair so they have the chance to see it all, because “one day is never enough.”
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Fair information
For more information about the fair, go to evergreenfair.org. Daily schedules of events and entertainment are available at evergreenfair.org/162/Daily-Schedules.
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