FAIR WEATHER

PALMER — The Alaska State Fair is a place where a kid can pet a kid.

One of the first stops for many families as the 2010 fair opened its 12-day run Thursday was the Farm Exhibits building and the goat show. As competitors waited patiently for their turns in the judging ring, youngsters took a hands-on approach at the nearby petting zoo and the numerous varieties of goats in their pens.

Wasilla resident Ashley Gilbert had her hands full with her own pack of kids. Along with a neighbor, she was ushering around an excited group of seven little ones all age 4 and younger. While the children were enthralled reaching through the cages to pet the goats, Gilbert said getting in on the first day of the fair “is a big tradition” with her family.

“We’re here today and we’re coming again Saturday,” she said. “We’re going to wait for daddy to do all the fun stuff and the rides.”

As the children obsessed over the goats — 4-year-old Jaden wants to take one home as a pet — Gilbert said she was looking forward to sinking her teeth into another fair tradition.

“I have to go for a bread bowl,” she said. “It’s my favorite thing, I think.”

Standing nearby waiting to show her male goat was Suzanne Nevada of Wasilla. Her family runs Silver Aurora Farm. As Gilbert kept an eye on her group, Nevada was prepping Pazazz for his big moment.

“He’s a spotted Nubian,” she said. “This show is for the boys, and most of the boys you see here are top breeding stock. Pretty soon we’ll be bringing in all the girls with the big udders.”

For the show, which is sanctioned by the American Dairy Goat Association, the females are the stars. But there’s another reason they’re showed last, Nevada said.

“We do the boys first because they’re very smelly,” she said.

One doesn’t have to go far to get away from the pungent Pazazz to know the fair is in full swing. The sounds, sights and smells are what draws many like Baumgardener family. Maria, Robert and their three children slurped up soft-serve ice cream while planning a full day at the fair.

“I grew up here, so you can’t miss the fair,” Maria said. “The kids like the rides, I like the vegetables and stuff. We’re still talking about how many tickets we can get for how much. With three kids, you have to budget.”

For her husband, people watching is one of the more entertaining activities.

“I just like checking everything out,” he said. “I think the people are more entertaining. It’s like a zoo here.”

That’s also a favorite fair pastime of George Lorenz of Wasilla. After spending a couple of hours looking at 4-H exhibits and other booths, Lorenz and his wife, Pam and children, Hannah and James, lounged on the grass enjoying giant barbecued turkey legs.

“I like watching the people — where they’re going, where they come from,” he said.

After the carnival rides, the turkey legs got a big thumbs up from James, 15.

“They’re really good,” he said. “You don’t get to eat them except for at the fair. But I like the rides the best.”

His favorite is the Ferris wheel, and while James admitted he has never spat off the top of the ride. It’s an admission his father can’t make.

“Oh, I have,” George said. “Although, not lately; not since I was his age.”

The first day of the Alaska State Fair sets the tone for many organizations and businesses in the Valley. For the Valley Quilters Guild, the state fair is an important source of revenue and membership.

“This is our major fund-raiser for the year,” said guild member Elaine Fergen, who was working the group’s booth along the Red Path. “The fair is very important to us.”

With sunny weather with temperatures in the mid-60s, Fergen is hoping this year’s fair will be big for the guild.

“The recession and the economy has kind-of depressed it for the last couple of years, so we’re hoping to recover a little this year,” she said.

There’s a different tradition that brings the VanDiest family of Palmer to the fair’s opening day. The children came in to see how they did in some of the categories they entered. Six-year-old Daniel won a blue ribbon for his chocolate chip cookies, and sister Anna, 10, won a blue ribbon for the reddest red rose.

“I was excited,” Anna said. “It took all year to grow it.”

Success at the fair isn’t new to the young VanDiest. Along with her brother, the VanDiest children placed third overall last year in the Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off. They won $500 for their 64.7-pound cabbage.

She has another this year as well.

“It’s about this big,” she said, holding her arms wide above her head. “It’s still in the ground, though, so I don’t know if I can lift it.”

Perhaps more excited than the kids petting the kid goats or the blue-ribbon-winning VanDiest children was Wasilla resident Dawn Webster. She was found waiting for the quilt show.

Looking at the quilts “gets you inspired,” she said. “You dream about quilts for nights and nights. You try to get it out of your head and you can’t. It just fills your mind with imagination.”

She was particularly fond of a black quilt with intricate floral patterns.

“That’s outstanding,” she said. “It’s just stunning. I love the imagination, the colors, the creativity.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.