Be a Washington State Fair Pro with These Tips!
The Puyallup Fair is happening now through Sunday, September 23rd! Our REALTORS® share their insider tips with you as you plan to “Do the Puyallup!”
Planning Your Visit
When planning your visit there are a few important things to know! If you’re planning on taking the kids, REALTOR® Sharon Benson feels that the best day to visit is “Senior Citizen days, of course! The Dizzy Pass days are a good price, but you will stand in line forever. On Senior Citizen days you will actually get to ride the rides rather than standing in line for so long!” Also, admission to the fair is free from 10:30-12:30 on the day of the Parade & Cattle Drive with a donation of school supplies.
REALTOR® Maggie Schauble highly recommends attending the fair on a week day to avoid crowds, but if you plan to go on the weekend you can buy your tickets online and save a little time. Package and discount deals are available online for admission tickets, ride, and food coupons. Carli Santa Cruz shares, “Always do the dizzy pass days if you’re into rides. One flat rate, ride all day and night!”
It’s a great idea to look up the fair schedule, so you don’t miss anything you really want to see; if you want to see horses or dogs check the schedule as those are on specific days. REALTOR® Trish Stone’s pro-tip: There is a ton of walking involved so you want to make sure that your shoes are comfortable (And close-toed if you plan on riding any rides!)
Check the schedule in advance if you want to see animal shows as those are on specific days. While planning for the fair, it’s also handy to establish what you want to avoid, agent Trish recommends, “Don't make eye contact with the demo folks - they'll call you out, and if you're not one to say no, you'll walk out with items sold on late night infomercials, but at least you'll have some unique items for your next garage sale.”
Parking and Entering the Fair
Trish says, “Being from Puyallup, I never pay to park!” she uses the hidden roads in the residential areas and practices parallel parking skills. REALTOR® Vic Jones shares, “If you can walk a bit you can usually find parking up the hill off 15th for free, just watch for no parking signs. Parking in one of the fair lots vs the private lots is sometimes easier to get out of and usually not much more expensive.” And continues, “The lot off 9th and Meridian across from the Main Gate is a good one, as it has more than one entrance and exit as well as being an easy gate to get into.”
As for entering the fair, Trish recommends bringing a backpack. The security line for checking backpacks is much shorter than the general admission entrance line, plus you can purchase your bakers dozen of Fisher Fair Scones earlier in the day and keep them in the backpack rather than waiting in the long scone line with everyone else at the end of the day!
Rides and Fun
There are so many rides and activities to mention! But, our agents love to share some of their favorites. Maggie says, “Be sure to take the gondola from one corner of the fairgrounds to the next! I love the aerial view of the grounds and all the fun!” She also shares, “I always start with the 4H clubs! There are so many interesting exhibits that are educational and it’s great to encourage the entries that the kids work so hard on. If you can get your hands on the program there are all sorts of 4H and FFA activities and then you can pick your favorite on to catch.”
Trish also recommends taking funny pics with your fair crew in one of the many photo booths! “It's one time there is so much stuff going on, no one will pay attention to how ridiculous you're being in the booth!” Says Trish.
REALTOR® Patti Connolly shares, “The Parade & Cattle Drive is a fun event for the family and a great way to kick of the Washington Fair (admission is free from 10:30-12:30 with a donation of school supplies)! The Rodeo is awesome and if you're looking for some great music from local bands to national acts, the fair has TONS!” Click here for more information about the cattle drive. Click here for more information about rodeo tickets. Click here to see the concert schedule. Others enjoy Motorsports Mayhem and the demolition derby festivities at the fair!
Food
When you come to the fair, make sure you come hungry! There are hundreds of different foods to sample! Maggie’s favorite vendor for a quick snack is the Corn Dogs of the World. “They have options such as Brats, Kielbasa, Cheddar Jalapeno, and they make their own batter.” A great tip for eating is since most likely you're there with one or more people, agree to split food so that you can maximize your fair food intake! Split an earthquake burger so you leave room to share an elephant ear! And as Trish says, use that backpack to purchase tasty packaged goods like Fisher Fair Scones before the last-minute closing rush to take home!