Alaska fairgoers are No. 1 in the country

To the editor:

Thanks for your recent article sharing our recognition by Country Living magazine as one of the top five state fairs in America. While we haven’t had the opportunity to visit every state fair, like Jim Kopel did, those of us who have attended other fairs have always come home knowing that Alaska’s State Fair was special.

We’re pretty proud of our fair, and we work hard to create a high-quality event that Alaskans can be proud of, as well. Apart from the giant vegetables, which impressed Country Living magazine, we believe there is one other very important thing that makes us unique: our efforts to reflect the identity of Alaska and the people who call it home.

This can be seen throughout the entire fair. Many of our food booths feature Alaska products, from seafood to beer, and produce to spices. Our stages are filled with local entertainers — more than 3,000 in 2012. Our exhibit halls are packed with thousands of entries from talented Alaskans. And our Raven’s People program drew Alaska Native dancers, artists and athletes from nearly every region of the state. Our name is the Alaska State Fair, but we truly strive to be Alaska’s State Fair.

While we appreciate Country Living’s recognition, what we really care about is our fairgoers. We may be the No. 2 fair in the nation, but our Alaskan fairgoers are No. 1 in the country.

Dean Phipps

Alaska State Fair Marketing Director