Well before the Puyallup Fair opens its gates today, excitement was building for what is arguably the event’s most famous taste and certainly its most historic one.
“Just saw a scone booth getting pulled down Meridian in Puyallup,” one woman wrote last month on the Fisher scones Facebook page. “Yummmmmmmm!”
Preparations were under way this week at the fairgrounds as workers set up equipment, readying to continue a tradition that now stretches across a century.
The Northwest company that created the warm, buttery treats turns 100 in 2011. Fisher also expects to serve its 100 millionth scone during the 17-day fair, which kicks off with a cattle drive and parade today.
For workers as well as consumers, it’s a tradition often passed down.
Sue Williams, a longtime Fisher worker, started when her daughter, Tyanne, was a baby. Tyanne now is 28 and a mother herself; she’s also employed by Fisher at the fair.
“I love coming back and seeing the ladies who’ve been there the whole time I’ve been there,” Williams said. “They’ve seen my kids born, grow up. It’s a little family for 17 days.”
Fisher Flour Mills began operating in 1911, with headquarters on Harbor Island in King County. It used the scones – served with whipped butter and raspberry jam – to promote its flour.
In 1915, Puyallup Fair president and general manager William H. Paulhamus tasted them at an exposition in San Francisco. He noticed a crowd, and “curious to see what the fuss was about, (he) tried one and found his soon-to-be star attraction,” according to a fair scone history from Fisher.
“I’m very proud of the history,” said Mike Maher, president and chief executive officer of Conifer Specialties, the Woodinville company that now owns the Fisher scone brand.
The first fair scone went for a nickel. They’re more expensive today, at $1.25 apiece or $13 for a baker’s dozen. They’re sold at seven locations throughout the fairgrounds.
The scones are made on-site – mixed, kneaded, rolled, flattened, baked and placed on the “hot table” where butter and jam are added.
They certainly taste good, scone lovers say. But their appeal also runs deeper, at least in Puyallup.
“It’s generational,” said fair spokeswoman Karen LaFlamme. “(People’s) parents have enjoyed them, their grandparents have enjoyed them. They carry on the tradition.”
Since the scones’ Puyallup Fair debut in 1915, – some 15 years after the fair was born – they have remained a signature treat as the event has grown into one of the largest fairs in the world, typically drawing more than 1.1 million people.
More than 1 million scones are made during the fair, using truckloads of flour, butter and jam.
“We start first thing in the morning running at capacity, and do that until the window drops at night,” said Ken Zugner, a longtime Fisher worker who manages festival operations.
The scones also are sold at about two dozen other fairs and festivals in the Northwest.
At the Puyallup Fair, about 150 temporary workers are hired to keep the scones coming. Zugner said he has workers who learned the art of scone-making from their parents and grandparents.
They don’t take it lightly.
“It’s exciting that we’ve been part of the Northwest with this treat for 100 years,” Zugner said.
Williams agrees.
“To me, it’s like a phenomenon,” the veteran scone maker said. “If you want to make anybody’s day who lives around here, bring them a scone. I don’t think it would be the same if you brought them caramel apples. (The scones) bring back great memories for people.
“For me, I just think it really is that memory of happy.”
Sara Schilling: 253-552-7058 sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/street EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH THE FAIR
We tell you what to nosh on and best bets for buying. INSIDE go
TODAY’s FAIR SCHEDULE | A3 How to do the Puyallup
Dates: Today-Sept 25.
Hours: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays.
Admission: $11 for adults, $9 for students (ages 6-18) and seniors (62 and older). Advance discount tickets at Safeway, Walgreens, Fred Meyer and South Hill Mall. There’s no admission charge for kids 5 and younger. Today everyone gets in free from 10 a.m.-noon; people are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items for the Puyallup Food Bank.
Parking: $10 Monday-Friday, $12 Saturday-Sunday.
Transportation: The fair has its own express bus service this year instead of Pierce Transit. Buses depart every 20 to 30 minutes from the South Hill Mall, Lakewood Towne Center and Tacoma Mall, and Fridays through Sundays from River Road and Fourth Street Northwest in Puyallup. Cost is $4 round trip and $3 one way, cash only.
More details online: www. thefair.com.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.