It’s not too early to think about the Puyallup Fair.

Karen LaFlamme, Public Relations Counsel for the Puyallup Fair and Events Center, said they were lucky enough to snag Heart to perform on Sept. 10, Jeff Foxworthy to perform on Sept. 14 and one of the biggest names in country music, Tim McGraw, will appear on Sept. 22.

Concert ticket sales began on Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Fair website, www.thefair.com/concerts, by phone at 1-888-559-FAIR, or in person at the Fair Events Center at 9th Avenue SW and Meridian.

Tickets for the McGraw concert go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Puyallup Fair, which will run from Sept. 7-23 has started to fill the slots for performers and the entertainment will have what LaFlamme refers to as “a nice mix of music and comedy.”

“Every year, people say this is the best lineup ever,” she said.

Tickets to the Fair’s performances include fair gate admission.

This year’s Fair will feature a special one-year exhibit that focuses on the rain forest.

Meanwhile, the Puyallup Fairgrounds will be extremely busy in March, offering a wide variety of events.

Janet York, show manager for the Sewing & Stitchery Expo that runs March 1-4 at the Puyallup Fairgrounds said her crew is thrilled that garment sewing seems to be on the upswing.

The Expo will offer clothing construction classes and several events she refers to as “nooner events.”

“Every day on our big stage upstairs in the Pavilion we have events. One is Hatzoff taking place on Friday,” York said.

Hatzoff features hats for women who have been affected by hair loss due to breast cancer and will showcase wraps, turbans, fedoras and other types of hats.

A charity event takes place on Sunday and will include pillowcases that folks have sewn pre-show to be donated to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma. Last year, 2,800 pillowcases were donated, York said.

On March 9-10 in the Puyallup Fair’s Expo Hall, All Saint’s 35th annual auction will take place. This year’s theme is “A Night at the Needle” to honor the 50th anniversary of the Space Needle.

Chairs for the event Monique Carey, Diana Grosch, Mona Sullivan and Tracey Carlin have been planning the auction for over a year, gathering fabulous auction items.

Friday night’s admission is $15 per person and in order to attend Saturday night’s auction, which includes a dinner, tickets must be purchased in advance by calling All Saints School at 253-845-5025. Those tickets are $120 per couple and $65 for single.

Auction items include trips, pub-crawls, restaurant certificates, sports memorabilia, designer purses and clothing, plus many one-of-a-kind items.

Last year’s auction cleared $250,000 and the co-chairs hope to top that this year.

March events

-Mike & Key ARC Electronics Show & Flea market March 10.

-4-by-4 off-road and high performance meet March 11.

-Greater Puyallup Valley Young Life Banquet March 13.

-Alliance NW Conference for Small Business March 15.

-Almost Spring Swap Meet & Car Show March 17-18.

-Crossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Show March 17-18.

-GPAA Gold & Treasure Show March 17-18.

-Daffodil Arabian Youth Benefit Open Clinics & Schooling Show March 17-18.

-49th annual Puyallup Rotary Crab Feed March 23.

-Friends of NRA Dinner Auction March 24.

-Clan Gordon Pipe Band’s 48th Annual Tartan Ball March 24.

-Washington Arms Collector Show March 24-25.

-Communities in Schools Friendraiser Breakfast March 28.

-Snowmobile Manufacturers Sneak Peek March 28.

-Just Between Friends Children’s & Maternity Consignment Sale March 29 through April 1.

-Mild to Wild Hot Rods and Hot Rides March 30 through April 1.

-WAHSET, District 6, Meet No. 2 March 30 through April 1.Joan Cronk is a freelance reporter for The Herald.

Joan Cronk is a freelance reporter for The Herald.