Carnival & Fair News

The King County Fair, held at the Enumclaw Expo Center in Enumclaw, Wash. is said to be  the oldest county fair on the West Coast. The fair began in 1863, making this year its 161st community celebration.

The fair ran July 11 through 14, featuring a carnival provided by Butler Amusements, along with a rousing rodeo, mutton bustin' for kids, musical concerts, and a wide range of livestock and AG events. In short, the fair lived up to its catch phrase this year: “King County Fair, the Fair to See Since 1863.”


General admission tickets for adults were priced at $10, kids' tickets were $5, and seniors were $7. However, seniors were admitted for just $1 on Thursday; police, fire, and healthcare workers were admitted free on Friday; and active, reserve, and retired military and National Guard were admitted free on Sunday. Rough Stock Rodeo tickets were an additional $20 for the popular 2-hour Saturday evening event with ticket price including admission to the fair itself.



Rene Popke, CEO and General manager for the fair says that “We say we are in the business of educating and creating memory making experiences…so many fairgoers have deep roots in this fair growing up and we hope to continue the good-old fashioned fair fun that is part of the legacy moving forward.”

The fair may have begun as a simple fest for local agriculture, but today it's a growing mix of carnival midway, 4H events, music, and exhibits.

This year's animal events included llama and dairy goat events, among more traditional animals. Popke explains that “agriculture is the cornerstone of the fair” and stresses the importance of keeping these events as a foundation of the fair “through the process of raising, caring for, and showing…animals.” The King County Junior Livestock sale is a key component with rabbits, chickens, goats, sheep, and cattle on display.  There were also special cat and dog shows and an archery competition held through 4H this year.

Of course, the fair also featured a wide variety of additional events, from a Tractor Pull to the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show; performances by the Barnyard Racers, Jet City FMX Stunt Dirt Bike Riders, Canine Stars, and Reptile Isle.

Popke describes several special events that are highlights for local attendees, such as the fair's opening ceremony on its main stage, the Rough Rodeo Stock event, and Sunday's morning Cowboy Church. The rodeo event alone is an enormous draw for the fair, featuring bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. The event was a sell-out on Saturday night, both the Gold Buckle VIP event, which included dinner and two drink tickets, as well as reserved seating, and the general admission seating. Prior to the rodeo, the grandstand attendees enjoyed performances by the Stirrin' Dust Drill Team and Cowboy Mounted Horse Shooting.

Also enormously popular was the fair's opening ceremony, a favorite tradition at the fair. A big part of the attractions is the fair's the annual Critter Crowning, which drew a record number of entrants this year. So which critter won? None other than Rooster, the goat for owner Ariann Blakely. Second and third place winners were Thistle Down the duck, and Jill the rabbit.

Naturally, along with the animals, the carnival is another strong part of the fair's appeal. Carnival rides provided by Butler Amusements included the Americana Merry-Go-Round, the Eagle Ferris Wheel, and thrill rides such as Area 51, and Ring of Fire, the backwards/forwards circular ride that literally and figuratively takes riders for a loop. There were 15 rides in all along the midway. Ride coupons were $1 each; unlimited ride wristbands were available for $25 in advance of the event, and $32 during the fair's run. The Ferris Wheel, YoYo Giant Wheel, and Ring of Fire were among the most popular.

Nearby, the free Kids Zone provided tamer thrills with a safely fenced area filled with games, puzzles, and other interactive activities as well as offering a stroll through Farmer Mike's farm and his animals.

Kids 55 pounds and under could get their taste of rodeo with the Mutton Bustin' contest, in which kids wrangle and ride sheep. A Kids' Wild West Show and Pirates of the Plateau performance were also popular events for younger fair attendees.

Amusing roaming characters were also a big plus for kids, including Garfield, Minions, Tom & Jerry, and the Chicken Rider – a strolling interactive act involving a man astride an enormous hen. Bigger kids and adults enjoyed Monster Truck Rides available daily at $10 per ride or tried their rodeo style out on a mechanical bull.



In the exhibit halls, displays included horticulture, photography - where first place winner Kathy Conzelman won with an intense photo of an owl — baked goods, floral arrangements, and even “grown in Washington” produce such as potatoes and onions, all as a part of the Still Life open class competition. There were also demos of quilting and felting.

Main stage performances included the music of Whiskey Creek, channeling the sounds of Lynyrd Skynyred; country acts Saltwater Sky and Five Mile Drive; the classic rock sounds of Buddy, Ritchie, and the Bopper; roots rock band Kevin Jones & Band; and the high kicking action of the Boot Boogie Babes.

21 and up attendees also enjoyed the wine of 6 local vineyards at the wine garden gazebo's shady outdoor tasting location or they saddled up at the Buck Up Bar for a cold brew. Popular food items included popcorn, hot dogs, corn on the cob, beignets, and cotton candy.

The charming small fair's attendance figures have been rising since 2019, and while not yet available for this year, Jaclyn VanHoof, the fair's assistant manager, says she expects to see numbers that build upon last year's 50,000-plus guests. Her hope is that the number of attendees hit the fair's goal of 60k this year.