Over 100,000 Visit Puyallup's Spring Fair

The annual Spring Fair in Puyallup greeted 102,090 guests during the April 18-21, 2013 run, in spite of typical spring weather in the Pacific Northwest. Crowds ignored the intermittent rain and took in family fun at the state’s seventh largest fair. This was the 8th largest attendance in the Spring Fair’s 24-year history, according to a press release from the Western Washington Fair.

“We designed the Spring Fair to focus on the family, with lots of hands-on activities and free entertainment for every age group,” said Kent Hojem, Fair CEO. “It is extremely satisfying to see that the variety we offer our guests at the Spring Fair by far outweighs the weather.  We developed this event as a celebration to spring, and it has become a tradition in the Pacific Northwest.”

Opening day kicked off with the BECU Kids Free on Opening Day promotion, which drew large crowds. A food drive was also held opening day, with double the donations collected compared to last year, totaling 5,093 pounds donated to the Puyallup Food Bank this year. Military Appreciation Day on Friday greeted 3,542 members of our military community with free gate admission (media partners: 94.1 KMPS and KZOK 102.5 FM). 

See photos from the Spring Fair opening day and add yours to our gallery!

New attractions at this year’s Spring Fair included Aussie Kingdom, an exhibit featuring marsupials (animals with pockets) from “down under,” and KidZone Too!, a new area designed for kids. This building featured a Root Beer Garden, face painting, and AG-Ventureland, where kids could saddle ponies, milk cows and boats and enjoy hands-on activities. 

The Friday night KMPS Showcase featured up-and-coming duo on CURB Records, American Young. Auto Alley featured dragsters from Pacific Raceways that attracted race fans. Saturday’s featured concert at Showplace Stage, sponsored by Mountain Mist Bottled Water, was the KKWF 100.7 FM concert highlighting Broken Bow Record’s James Wesley, whose hit song “Thank a Farmer” is catapulting up the charts.

The annual Sleep Country Garden Show was in bloom with over 60 gardening vendors, display gardens, a stage featuring gardening gurus Ciscoe Morris, Marianne Binetti and more, and a floral competition. The Garden Show was located in Sleep Country ShowPlex, along with hundreds of vendors selling their wares.

Popular returning events included Slamfest Demolition Derby (presented by Budweiser), the Monster Truck show, and Swifty Swine Pig Races (presented by State Roofing). Fiesta Mexicana (media partners: LaGranD 99.3 FM and Latino 1210 AM) included elegant dancing horses, mariachi music, and authentic food prepared by Club Jalisco. The Fair’s carnival and rides were also a draw for kids of all ages. 

FFA and 4-H students participated in the annual NW Jr. Livestock Show and Sale, while Puyallup School District students took part in “Science Explorations 2013” science fair, poster contest, and “Honoring Cultures.” The annual Creative Kids Exhibit was a popular draw. One division, the Egg Drop Contest featured 28 children who designed packaging so their raw egg would withstand a drop of up to 50 feet.