Spring fair expands to include Sillyville, more adult rides
The Washington State Spring Fair is getting bigger, 4 acres bigger, and will include the children’s ride area Sillyville as the 27th edition of the spring fair runs Thursday through Sunday.
The inclusion of the Sillyville area means young fairgoers can enjoy rides such as the train and Wild Cat, as well as ride the giant slide.
“The reason we did (the expansion), we had such large crowds in the midway area last year, we realized the logical step would be to include Sillyville. That way we could add the kiddie rides there and adult rides near there,” said fair spokeswoman Karen LaFlamme.
Last spring, she said, it was so crowded it was easy to be confused as to which ride line you were standing in.
There also will be food booths in the newly opened area, so parents can grab a treat while their children are on the rides.
Also new is the Ducky Scavenger Hunt, an incentive to visit the entire fairgrounds. Visitors will need to find nine rubber duck-themed umbrellas, and their passwords, to qualify for prizes.
Mexican culture: There will be two new events this year that offer a glimpse of Mexico’s culture. Fiesta de Don Andres will take place four times a day Friday (April 15)-Sunday near the Purple Gate. The highlight is the dancing horses, but there also will be precision horse riding, Mexican food and mariachi music.
On Sunday at 4:45 p.m., there will be music and dancing as Folklore Mexicano Tonantzin and Explosion Musical de Mexico take the stage.
Dock Dogs: Watch as canine competitors race down a 40-foot runway and leap as far as they can into a 27,000-gallon portable swimming pool. The dog jumping the farthest will win. The action will take place each day of the Spring Fair, inside the Red Gate.
Kids Can Cook: Chef Dianne Linderman has 30 years of working with children. She will have several shows a day in the Pavilion, teaching children how to make tasty and healthy recipes.
Fireworks: There will be fireworks shows Friday and Saturday, about 9 p.m.
Lumberjack show: New this year will be the TimberWorks Lumberjack Show. Participants will compete in ax throwing, log rolling, cross-cut sawing, hot sawing and chainsaw carving. Attendees also will learn about the lumberjacks who worked in logging camps in the early days in Washington. The show will take place each day of the fair on the midway west of the Coca-Cola Stage.
Outdoor Adventures: People stopping here will be able to learn about some of the outdoor opportunities in the Northwest. There will be tour operators, as well as people representing ATV rides and fishing destinations. There also will be community groups talking about conservation and gardening.
Monster trucks and demolition derby: Monster trucks Bounty Hunter, Scarlet Bandit, Destroyer and Wild Flower are expected to be on hand when the show roars into the grandstand infield at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The show is produced by WGAS Motorsports. If you want to get inside a monster truck, rides ($7 each) will be offered in Zombie Tracker or White Lightning on Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday and Sunday, Evergreen Speedway and High Road Promotions will bring the demolition derby to the grandstand infield. There will be figure 8 races, derby heat races and slamfest, where the last car standing wins. Mike Buse, better known as Mr. Dizzy from the History Channel show “American Daredevils,” will perform stunts at both shows. A new feature, the Boat Bash, will debut Sunday. Large cars will be dragging boats in this event.
Free concerts: Jordan Rager will perform at the Showplace Stage on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Rager is appearing in the KMPS-FM Showcase, the annual free concert highlighting new and upcoming talent.
Rager is known for his recent song “Southern Boy,” which he performed with Jason Aldean. A self-taught guitar player from the age of 15, Rager jumped to the national scene in 2013 when he opened for Justin Moore’s Off the Beaten Path tour.
Other free shows include Celtic performers The Gothard Sisters, the Matt Baker comedy and stunt show, Mother Goose magic show, singer Brady Goss and the Cultural Diversity Celebration.
Washington State Spring Fair
When: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday (April 15) and Saturday, and 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Washington State Fair Events Center, 1110 Ninth Ave. SW, Puyallup.
Admission: Advance tickets are $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for students ages 6-18, and free for children 5 and younger. At the gate, adult tickets are $10 and student tickets are $8. Note: Kids get in free 2-10 p.m. Thursday with a nonperishable food item for the Puyallup Food Bank. Go to the website for information on discounts and packages.
Show costs: There is a charge to watch the monster truck show and demolition derby. Those tickets include admission to the fair. See the website for details.
Enter: Through the Blue, Gold, Red and Purple gates.
Information: thefair.com.
This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Spring fair expands to include Sillyville, more adult rides."