King County Fair: Alive and Kickin’ for 144 years

Wednesday’s Critter Crowning kicks off oldest county fair west of the Mississippi

The King County Fair – a summertime tradition that stretches back to the middle of the 19th Century – kicks off tomorrow in Enumclaw with all the sights, sounds and tastes that make this the best county fair in Washington.

The action begins Wednesday at high noon with the Critter Crowning Contest on the South Stage. King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn will serve as Master of Ceremonies and get the fair off to a great start as fainting goats, a rabbit, a rooster, a cat and other pets and farm animals compete for the coveted title as Royal Critter – the official mascot of the King County Fair.

It wouldn’t be the King County Fair without a great lineup of traditional food favorites, including onion burgers, barbecued chicken, hot scones with fresh jam, elephant ears and corn on the cob.

Live entertainment is on tap at three stages all day, everyday – including headlining rising Country star Blaine Larsen, a Tacoma native, who takes to the South Stage Friday at 8 p.m. Midway carnival rides and games await, plus monster truck rides everyday after 5 p.m., and a demolition derby/rollover competition, scheduled for July 23 at 6 p.m. Also, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will greet fairgoers Saturday, July 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Qwest Interactive Center.

General admission to the fair is $8 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12 and $6 for seniors 62 and over. Access to all of the entertainment is included with the price of admission, except the demolition derby and rollover competition. Tickets for those special events are $15 for adults and $10 for children and seniors. Sunday fair admission is included with ticket purchase.

Fair hours are: July 19-20 (Wednesday and Thursday) – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; July 21-22 (Friday and Saturday) – 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; July 23 (Sunday) – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, including a complete schedule of events, visit http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/fair/default.asp or call the King County Fairgrounds at 206-296-8888.