The Washington State Fair, formerly the Puyallup Fair, is the largest single attraction held annually in the

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Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. It continually ranks in the top ten largest fairs in the

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and includes agricultural and pastoral displays and shows, amusement rides, and concert series. The Washington State Fair hosts two annual events: the 21-day Washington State Fair in September, and the four-day two weekend Washington State Spring Fair in April. The land and facilities are also leased to independent events and conventions throughout the year. Situated in the city of Puyallup, south of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

and east of

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

near

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...

, the fairgrounds cover an area of with buildings and land valued at more than $54 million. The facilities are available for rent throughout the year, making the grounds a valuable community resource. They also host various seasonal festivals such as the Victorian Country Christmas, as well as races, concerts, car shows, and sporting expositions, including the International Sportsman's Exposition. The site employs 55 year-round staff members. Over 7,500 employees are hired each September during the Fair.

History

The fair started out under the name "Puyallup Valley Fair", with the first event taking place October 4–6, 1900. In 1913, it was renamed "The Western Washington Fair", but remained primarily known as the "Puyallup Fair" until the early 1980s. In 2006, the name was changed again to "The Puyallup Fair", and the venue became known as "The Puyallup Fair and Events Center." In 2013 the fair received its current name, the "Washington State Fair"; however, the marketing tagline "Do the Puyallup" was retained and many local people continue to refer to the fair by its previous name. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the fair did not take place. The fairgrounds closed after the 1941 fair and were occupied by the army, which set up Camp Harmony, a temporary assembly center within the system of

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

s for

Japanese Americans are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian Americans, Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 United States census, 2000 census, they have declined in ...

. A total of 7,390 Japanese Americans from the Seattle-Tacoma area and

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were confined in converted horse stables and barracks constructed on adjacent parking lots, the racing track and under the grandstand. In September 1942, the Japanese Americans were sent to other locations and the camp was torn down. The fairgrounds were briefly occupied by the U.S. Army 943rd Signal Service Battalion until they were transferred to Fort Lewis, then closed until 1946, when the fair set an attendance record of 100,000 people on opening day. The cancellation of the Fair's 2020 season was announced on July 8, 2020, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. It was the first edition of the Fair to be cancelled since World War II. The fair returned in 2021 with masking requirements and limited capacity, drawing 816,000 total attendees—a 20 percent decrease.

Attendance

Attendance has grown significantly since the first fair in 1900; today the event draws more than one million people each year.

Figures

*2021: 816,000 *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

References

External links

* {{Authority control Fairs in Washington (state) Annual fairs Annual events in Washington (state)

Puyallup, Washington Tourist attractions in Pierce County, Washington Festivals established in 1900 History of Washington (state)

History

Attendance

Figures

See also

References

External links