Attendance up at 2014 Alaska State Fair

Increased attendance, new state records and the unveiling of several fairground improvements are just a couple of the takeaways from the 2014 Alaska State Fair.

Total attendance at the 2014 fair was 293,827, up more than 4,300 from the year before. The increase was likely due in part to the “great weather for the fair this year,” said Ray Ritari, fair general manager.

While concert ticket sales were still strong, the number of tickets sold this year was down slightly, at 28,174 compared to 33,392 last year. Topping the ticket sales chart was Three Days Grace and Pentatonix, followed by Thompson Square.

Three new state vegetable records were set at the 2014 fair. Jody Zylstra of Wasilla set a record with a 15.50-pound spaghetti squash; Pat Tremaine of Palmer set a record with a 9-foot, 10 3/4-inch dill; and Phyllis Kircher of Palmer set a record with a 5-foot, 7 3/4-inch fennel.

While no new records were set at the Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off or the Alaska Midnight Sun Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off this year, the entries were still impressive. Steve Hubacek took first place in the cabbage weigh-off with his 117.95-pound entry, and Dale Marshall won the pumpkin contest with his 1,283.5-pound gourd.

The 2014 fair featured several significant expansions/improvements, including the opening of The Gathering Place, a new area of the fairgrounds dedicated to experiencing Alaska’s rich Native cultures and traditions.

All 10 of the Alaska Native groups from the five regions were represented at The Gathering Place, which featured 54 Native dance performances, 36 traditional storytelling sessions, 30 traditional Native artist vendors, and four World Eskimo-Indian Olympic athletic demonstrations.

Other fair highlights include:

• A total of 439 vendors set up shop; including 61 food vendors.

• A the three-day fair food drive collected 16,400 pounds of nonperishable goods.

• Mike and Paula Williams — The Farm Family of the Year — were honored at the Director’s Reception.

• A total of 300 volunteers pitched in to help recycle 31,121 pounds of materials, including 1,619 pounds of aluminum — a 116-percent increase from last year.

• People entered 8,253 exhibits and earned $36,000 in premiums.

• More than 2,100 students in kindergarten through fifth grade visited the fair on field trips this year.

A total of 77 youth raised 76 animals for the 4-H Club Junior Market Livestock Auction, which brought in $155,666.