Fair facelift

The sweet smells and sounds of the Alaska State Fair are already filling the Palmer air, although they aren't exactly the same smells and sounds you'll smell and hear when the fair starts Thursday.

The distinct smell of paint drying fills the air in one corner of the fairgrounds these days -- the same place where the smell of Midway cheeseburgers and corn dogs will be in two days. In another part of the fair, the aroma of wet sawdust hits you as you walk around.

The sounds of the carnival are still a few days away -- hammers, cordless screwdrivers and saws are the sounds of the day. The people scurrying around are the same people who will be serving the other people who will be scurrying around come Thursday.

The Alaska State Fair is putting on its makeup, getting ready for its big dance much the same way a high school senior prepares for prom.

"I don't think people realize this much work goes into setting up for the fair," said Constance Harris, an Anchorage teen who was helping set up a booth on Sunday afternoon. "There is a good, solid week of work before the first day."

For some vendors, the week before the fair is also a time to recover from the Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks.

Many vendors arrived in Palmer late last week, giving them a week and a half to wind down from the Fairbanks fair and get ready for the grand-daddy of them all, the Alaska State Fair.

Many vendors keep their booths in storage on the Alaska State Fairgrounds, while others build from scratch, hammering furiously right up until opening day. And opening day this year is throwing a wrinkle into the plans, because Thursday is no longer "Preview Day." The fair will open at noon Thursday, instead of 5 p.m. as in the past, giving vendors another reason to get busy building their booths and stocking their shelves.

"Every booth I've worked on has gotten done right at the deadline, no matter what the deadline was," said Terry Greste, a 19-year-old from Palmer who has worked the fair for different vendors since he was 16. "I got over here and tried to get a job a little earlier this year than I have the last couple of years because I knew people would need to get started earlier this year."

Last weekend, as final details were being put together, the sun seemed to suck the life out of the people working.

"This heat is good and bad," Harris said. "You hope it stays like this for the fair, but right now, I could use one of those Palmer breezes to keep it cool."

Sunday evening was the first night vendors and workers could camp on the fairgrounds, behind the booths, and many took advantage.

"I live in Anchorage and my boss wants me working by 9 [a.m.], so it's just easier to camp out back," Harris explained. "Plus, I think that's part of the fair."

People get their first shot at the fair starting at noon Thursday.

It is Kraft Alaska Day, and people can save $2 by bringing a receipt showing purchase of select Kraft products to the tent in front of the Red Gate.

Opening night's entertainment includes .38 Special, which plays at the Borealis Theater at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are available for the concert.

Tickets for the Alaska State Fair can be purchased in advance at all CARRS TIX locations, as well as at Tickets.com.