Five-day fair opens doors July 20
Published 12:13 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008
By Kevin Hanson
The Courier-Herald
Anyone looking for "good, clean fun" will find it next week at the King County Fairgrounds.
At least that's the theme for the 143rd edition of the fair, which kicks off a five-day run July 20 at the county venue in Enumclaw.
Fair organizers continue tinkering with the fair, looking to reverse those trends that left the public grumbling in recent years. Gone are high-priced concerts, for example, replaced with family-friendly entertainment that won't leave too big a dent in the pocketbook. Entertainment, in fact, is free with paid admission to the fair.
"This is a great entertainment opportunity," said Sharon Roberts, manager of the King County Fair. "We're bringing in top-notch groups and entertainers to offer an array of musical styles for the whole family.
"We're really trying to focus on the talent found here in the Northwest."
While it has been closely scrutinized in recent years, the King County Fair retains some of the essentials. Visitors will find FFA and 4-H exhibits, carnival rides and games, blue-ribbon competitions, pig races, kids tractor pulls, a BMX stunt bike show and plenty of food vendors.
Daily highlights include:
€ July 20 - Free admission (morning only) with a ticket that can be obtained at the Enumclaw Safeway store; opening ceremonies; the annual Critter Crowning contest, to determine this year's fair mascot; and the Emerald City Jug Band.
€ July 21 - Scottish Highland dancers; free doll making and stilt walkers. Also, it's a special day for carnival rides; purchase a $20 bracelet and get unlimited rides from either 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. of 6 to 10 p.m.
€ July 22 - Qwest mascot contest; Heel Klickin' Cloggers and a BMX stunt bike competition at 6 and 7:30 p.m.
€ July 23 - Performance by the Enumclaw Plateau Orchestra; logger rodeo; Head for the Hills Bluegrass Band; the Cylas Blues Band; KMPS country entertainment; and a second day of BMX stunt bike competition at 6 and 7:30 p.m.
€ July 24 - Logger rodeo; Skagit Rein Riders; the Mary Wiles Show; a Dodge NASCAR giveaway; and, beginning at 11 a.m., an arm-wrestling tournament, open to all. Also, it's another $20 day for rides, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition, there's a lineup of featured entertainment:
€ Fiddler-singer Rani Arbo - Acoustic Guitar magazine dubbed her "the Greta Garbo of folk music." With her new band "daisy mayhem," Arbo plays the fair at 8 p.m. July 20.
€ Local favorite The Beatniks will perform the music of the 1960s and '70s (and '80s, too) at 8 p.m. July 21.
€ Tacoma country singer turned Nashville recording star Jonathan Harris plays at 8 p.m. July 22 and 4:30 p.m. July 23. Harris has opened for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Merle Haggard and the Charlie Daniels Band.
The three featured acts will appear on the south stage.
King County Fair admission prices are $7 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and kids 6 to 12; for those 5 and younger, admission is free. Parking in the county lots is $5.
The fair will open at 10 a.m. each day. Closing time will be 10 p.m. July 20 and 21, 11 p.m. July 22 and 23, and 8 p.m. July 24.
