The Washington State Fair, commonly referred to as the Puyallup Fair, is the largest single attraction held annually in the state of Washington. The fair continually ranks in the top ten largest fairs in the United States. The Washington State Fair hosts two annual events: the 21-day Washington State Fair every September, and the four-day Washington State Spring Fair every April.
Situated in Puyallup, 35 miles (56 km) south of Seattle and 10 miles (16 km) east of Tacoma in the shadow of Mount Rainier, the fairgrounds comprise 160 acres (0.65 km2), with buildings and land valued at more than $54 million. The facilities are available for rent during the year, making the grounds a valuable community resource. A staff of 55 works year-round. Over 7,500 employees are hired each September during the Fair.
The fairgrounds were known as Camp Harmony, a temporary assembly center within the system of internment camps for Japanese Americans, during World War II. A total of 7,390 Japanese Americans from the Seattle-Tacoma area and Alaska were confined in converted horse stables and barracks constructed on adjacent parking lots, the racing track and under the grandstand.
Until 2006, the fair was officially known as the "Western Washington Fair." At that time, the former name was dropped and changed to match the more common usage. The name of the fairgrounds was changed to "The Puyallup Fair and Events Center." It is now a facility that is opened year round covering various seasonal festivals (such as the Victorian Country Christmas), races, concerts, car shows, and sporting expositions (such as the International Sportsman's Exposition).
Starting in 2013, the fair was renamed the Washington State Fair. The marketing tagline "Do the Puyallup" was retained.
In 2016, The Fair had extend its flagship September event to 21 days by opening on Labor Day weekend. It will be closed on Tuesdays under this schedule revision.
Video Washington State Fair
Attendance
Attendance has grown significantly since the fair's October 4, 1900 opening, drawing more than one million people each year. Selected dates:
2012: 1,117,323
2011: 1,059,182
2010: 1,065,208
2009: 1,183,035
2008: 1,163,969
2007: 1,182,937
2006: 1,131,276
2005: 1,117,707
2004: 1,073,581
2003: About 1,160,000
2002: About 1,180,000
2000: About 1,300,000
1993: 1,420,037 (highest attendance ever)
1991: 1,414,487
1989: About 1,300,000
1980-1988: Between 1,100,000 and 1,200,000
Late 1930s: About 400,000
1922: About 130,000
1900: About 5,500 families
Maps Washington State Fair
External links
- http://www.thefair.com/
- http://www.usastatefair.com/
See also
Related nearby A & P Fairs
- Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, BC whose grounds were also a Japanese Internment Center during World War II
- Evergreen State Fair in nearby Snohomish County around 1/3rd the size and attendance
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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