Washington State Fair Begins Friday: What To Know

PUYALLUP, WA — Washington State Fair organizers are putting on the finishing touches and preparing to open their doors to the public this Friday.

After closing last year because of COVID-19 safety restrictions, and despite several other events shutting down over the current wave of new infections, state fair organizers say they plan to go ahead with the big event.

The fair will run from September 3 - 26. Organizers say to expect all the regular features like rides, the rodeo, refreshments, and ranching. The Columbia Bank Concert Series is also a go with performances from Carrie Underwood, the Beach Boys and Ice Cube, among others. For the most part, it should look a lot like a regular state fair, though with one big change: A spokesperson for the fair told the News Tribune the fair would follow any state pandemic mandates. For the fair, that means requiring masks in indoor spaces like barns or other enclosed amusements.

The fair has also promised "rigorous standards for sanitation and cleaning" to tamp down on potential COVID-19 transmission, saying that vendors will be required to follow Department of Health COVID-19 safety guidelines, and will provide easy access to handwashing and sanitation stations for employees and customers alike. Notably, the state fair's website says it will not check guests' vaccination status.

Last June, the fairgrounds had to completely cancel the 2020 Washington State Fair — marking the first and only time the fair has been cancelled since the second World War. Before that, the 2020 fair had also been scheduled for September.

The return is good news for revelers who missed out on last year's festivities, but health officials still urge caution at any large gathering. State and national COVID-19 restrictions have generally been more lenient for largely outdoor events like the Washington State Fair, and while coronavirus transmission is less-likely in open spaces, it isn't impossible: the Watershed Music Festival held at the open-air amphitheater in George, Washington was recently linked to a cluster of COVID-19 outbreaks across the state.

At a conference Monday, state health officials urged residents to use their best judgement, avoid crowds, wear masks, frequently wash their hands and to get vaccinated if they have not already.

"The public perception of where we are does not match what's happening in hospitals, where people are coming in very ill and having extended stays and even dying," Cassie Sauer, president and CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association. "We really want the public to understand this remains incredibly serious."