Here’s your WA Spring Fair guide to BBQ, monster trucks, rides and racing pigs
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Spring Fair is Apr 10–19 on Fridays–Sundays with set hours and ticket tiers.
- New attractions: 1900 Food rooftop and Fair Park Stage with scheduled acts.
- Weekends alternate: BBQ and demolition first; car show and monster trucks second.
The season of sunshine and cherry blossoms has arrived — and Puyallup is gearing up to celebrate with the annual Spring Fair.
The Spring Fair happens every April and is one of five main annual events held at The Washington State Fair Event Center. Other events include The Taste NW in June, The Washington State Fair in September, Oktoberfest in October and Holiday Magic in December.
This year, the Spring Fair will be happening on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from April 10 to 19, according to the fair’s website. Doors are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Admission and event tickets
If you buy tickets online, Friday admission costs $13 for people 13 or older and $11 for children ages 6 to 12. For Saturdays and Sundays, an online admission ticket will cost $15 for people 13 or older and $12 for children ages 6 to 12.
If you elect to buy your tickets at the gate, Friday admission will cost $14 for people 13 years old or older and $12 for children ages 6 to 12. On a Saturday and Sunday, gate admission will cost $17 for people 13 years old or older and $13 for children ages 6 to 12.
Children who are 5 years old or younger always get in for free, the fair’s website says.
Residents can get in for free if they show up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on opening day, April 10, with a non-perishable food donation, which will go to the Puyallup Food Bank. April 10 and 17 are Military Appreciation Days, which allows for free admission for anyone who shows a valid military ID at the fair gate.
For thrill-seekers, the fair offers a Ride & Game Tickets package:
- 32 tickets for $40
- 54 tickets for $60
- 95 tickets for $100
Each ride costs about five to eight tickets, the fair’s website says.
Guests can also buy tickets for monster truck rides on site, the fair’s website says, or purchase tickets to Motorsport Mayhem – two monster truck shows happening each weekend – online or on site.
If you want cheap food, participating vendors will offer $12 meals and $8 deals.
Parking
General parking is available at the Gold, Blue, Red and Green lots on a “space available basis,” the fair’s website says. It costs $15, which guests can pay on site.
To save on parking, guests can buy a discount parking ticket at participating O’Reilly Auto Parts stores. The discounted ticket knocks $3 off the price.
Puyallup O’Reilly’s stores participating in the program include:
- 1412 E. Main St., Suite A
- 11012 Canyon Road E.
- 12310 Meridian E., Suite 1
- 16222 Meridian Ave. E.
Residents can also reserve premium parking online for $30. Premium parking “guarantees your car a spot in Lot B, conveniently located on 9th Ave SW and 4th St. SW between the Red and Gold Gate,” the fair’s website says.
VIP parking costs $50, which allows guests to reserve a spot across from the Gold Gate at 9th Avenue Southwest and Meridian Street. Like premium parking, it has to be reserved in advance online.
What’s new this year?
This will be the first Spring Fair to include feature projects that made their debut at the Washington State Fair last year in honor of the event’s 125th anniversary.
This includes the 1900 Food and Rooftop Bar, which has six restaurants and a rooftop bar where guests can sit and enjoy the views while munching on some fair delicacies. Restaurants include:
- Benji’s Diner, which serves burgers, fries and shakes.
- Big Mouth Sandos, which serves sandwiches.
- Upper Crust, which serves Detroit-syle pan pizzas.
- Fat Panda, an Asian Fusion restaurant that serves dishes like steamed buns and rice bowls.
- The Pier, a Pacific Northwest-inspired restaurant that serves salmon and chips and chowder fries.
- DOH! Sweets & Treats, a place to satisfy the sweet tooth with carrot cake elephant ears and ice cream sandwiches.
Another anniversary creation making its Spring Fair debut is the Fair Park Stage, located where the M Barn once stood. The fair’s website brands it as “the Fair’s largest free entertainment stage, offering entertainment for all ages,” complete with a bar area for those 21 and older.
According to the fair’s website, the following acts will be performing at the Fair Park Stage during the Spring Fair:
- Two-Lane Blacktop, a band who will perform country, rock and Americana covers, on April 10.
- Aaron Crawford, a country artist, on April 11.
- Emerald City Sound Machine, a group that “delivers high-energy, dance-driven entertainment with an infectious mix of ’80s favorites and more,” on April 12.
- The Profits, a band that “[plays] music from a wide range of artists, eras, and genres” on April 17.
- Sounds like Dolores, a band that plays “dance rock favorites, oldies and a little country,” on April 18.
- Leah Justine, a country artist, on April 19.
What weekend should you attend?
Each weekend will feature two unique events for those days only.
The first weekend will feature a barbecue competition, where guests can taste samples from 35 barbecue teams, all competing for a $25,000 prize.
Also exclusive to the first weekend is the Slamfest Demolition Derby, where viewers in the Grandstand can watch vehicles crash into each other in a battle for glory. On April 12, the Boat Bash will bring boats to battle, where they will spin and smash until one boat remains.
During the second weekend, the fair will host its Cruise into Spring Car Show, featuring state-of-the-art cars from the 1950s to today.
Adrenaline junkies will find plenty to watch at The Crush Zone: Monster Trucks and Drift Cars Weekend on April 18 and 19, “featuring epic jumps and fierce competition for the Crush Cup.”
What else is there to do at the Spring Fair?
Both weekends will offer an array of fair staples, including:
- Rides such as the Classic Coaster, Giant Slide, Grand Wheel, and for children, the Fun Zone at Sillyville.
- Food from 74 vendors
- Monster truck rides
- Face painting
- DockDogs, a show where dogs sprint down a runway and jump into a large swimming pool.
- Racing Pigs, where piglets race around a track with “surprising speed and plenty of personality.”
- A goat playground with 20 goats to see.
To learn more, visit www.thefair.com.
