Fair Weather: State Fair opens to overcast skies, sprinkles

August 24, 2007

BY J.J. HARRIER

Frontiersman

PALMER - Ah, the calm before the storm.

Gray skies, drizzle and cool temperatures couldn't keep a small but devoted crowd away from the Alaska State Fair's opening day Thursday as hundreds came to Palmer for a taste of good old-fashioned fun.

Opening day at the fair is traditionally one of the more lightly attended at the state fair. Children are back in school and many are wrapping up work commitments for the week, allowing plenty of room for the few who made their way to the pre-weekend entertainment at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Even state fair parking volunteers enjoyed the early down time, some having time to check out the booths and entertainment themselves.

Down the Purple Trail and Miner's Loop, purple moose prints lead visitors to booths filled with aromatic coffees, fresh fudge, sporting goods, snow machines and Rollin' Donuts, owned by Nancy Favors and her family, who have been operating their booth for 16 summers.

&#8220This is a way for us to get together for fun and a support a worthy family cause,” Favors said. This year, proceeds from Favors' tasty mini donuts and parfaits go to send her youngest daughter, Savannah, to Mat-Su College. &#8220It helps assist us each year with things we normally wouldn't be able to handle alone.”

Further down the purple path is the Alaska famous Elephant Ears booth, a favorite for fair patron and Orlando, Fla., resident Jennifer Hamilton. Not only does Hamilton consider the gigantic doughy elephant ears one of the main reasons she comes to the fair when in Alaska, she finds it comforting to know it's still there.

&#8220I like them because it's invariably raining at the fair each year and cinnamon, for some reason, is comforting for me,” Hamilton said. &#8220I'm not big on the rides here, but some of these booths are tradition for me. I'm not even hungry and I wanted to eat.”

Hamilton, who left Alaska in 2001 but makes frequent visits in the summer, finds that opening day at the fair is just her taste, as it gives her more room to breathe and enjoy the exhibits without the bustle of a large crowd.

Near the end of the Purple Trail is Pioneer Plaza, one of the small, staged areas housing a variety of entertainment, including the Black Angels African Acrobats, a three-time-a-day free event for the family.

Along the Yellow Trail, marked now with yellow moose prints, is the Craft Market, a booth filled with antique belt buckles, Zippo lighters, jewelry and Alaska state license plates. Owner Tim Farrell has been operating his market for 28 years at the state fair, breaking from his normal routine as a Fairbanks store owner and resident.

&#8220In another 10 years I hope to maybe retire from this game,” Farrell said. &#8220I hope by the age of 70 I would have sold all this stuff.”

For the hungry, find smoked turkey legs, St. Michael's Parish's Slippery Gulch and entry to one of the fair's covered eating areas, where patrons can find familiar favorites such as the Patty Wagon, Curly Bob's and the Alaska famous Husky Burger booth.

Husky Burger owner Low Lentz is no stranger to manning a grill at the fairgrounds. He has been offering fair-goers a taste of his famous burgers for 46 years, a tradition he considers an honor and a privilege.

&#8220I'll probably do 50 of these before I start thinking about retiring,” Lentz said. &#8220But for now, it's a fun event that I try not to miss out on.”

Lentz is a local snow plow driver and construction worker who works and lives in the Butte year-round, running his 11-day booth for a little extra cash.

He remembers his first year at the fair, 1962, as a rainy year. Back then, Lentz said the state fair was four days long and Husky Burger was right smack dab outside the agriculture exhibits at the north end of the fairgrounds. The numbers were smaller back then, but his hand-pressed burgers were a big hit with locals and visitors alike.

&#8220We've seen a steady incline in business over the past five years,” he said. &#8220But for the most part we have the same product, except the burgers are now pressed in a press I made instead of by hand. Other than that, it's been the same.”

Amusement rides along the carnival midway were halted at times as crowds began filing into the damp fairgrounds, many carrying just a few riders at a time.

Red Trail holds many of the fair's art exhibits and vendors, where artists like Shane Lamb and Mary Croxton display their latest pieces inside their dry, covered booths. Raven Moose Studios, Valley Fine Arts Association, Lulu Bebe's, the Two Fish Gallery and Brasil Nuts are amongst the local artisans and craft choices lining the paved trails around the fairgrounds as well.

Red Trail also hosts the Colony Stage and Colony Theater, two venues aimed at showcasing musical and theater shows throughout the 11-day fair run.

Despite the weather, many of the fair's early arrivers found Thursday to be the best time to experience all the fair has to offer, with a weekend expected to bring tens of thousands more to Palmer.

Judy Brozek of Anchorage jumped at the opportunity to get her granddaughter, Chloe Austerman, into a face painting booth while the crowds were light.

&#8220This is great,” Brozek said. &#8220We came because Chloe's daddy works at one of the booths and now we're going to go and ride all the rides while we still can.”

&#8220If you don't like crowds, this is really the best time to come,” Hamilton said. &#8220I find I can get all the shopping and fun done with less hustle involved that way. It's great.”

For a list of upcoming events, vendor listings, fair updates and ticket information, visit alaskastatefair.org.

Editor's note: Look for Lifestyles Editor J.J. Harrier's daily fair coverage and fair blog online at www.frontiersman.com.