State fair time

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 …….This is the countdown to our state fair time. Friday is the first day so Thursday is your last day of “normal” before fair town takes over. Get those errands done today and tomorrow—so on Friday you can enjoy the State Fair without the worrisome stuff hanging over your head. As many know, the Fair joyfully takes over P-town. There is a celebratory spirit that just accompanies the State Fair. But there are the aggravations that come with the sudden burst of visiting population in Palmer.

The First Day of the Fair is Friday—The transformation is complete and Friday is time for the State Fair Takeover. Schedules will change, along with traffic patterns, work-shifts, and chore lists. It is the time days where life is defined by different food offerings, circus attractions, show and tell stories, and events we remember for the rest of our lives. How fortunate we are to have this big and wonderful experience right in our front yard. Yes, there will be some traffic snarls and yes there will be many strangers in town, but all in all it is a terrific annual experience.

Whiners will say, “It’s the Same Old Fair,” But Whiners are Wrong— There are thousands of brand new entries in the exhibits sections of the fair. These entries include original pieces of art, sculpture, fireweed wine, clay yarn bowls, wooden spools, exotic quilts, renaissance dresses, stuffed handmade elves, woven tapestries, and photographs—so beautiful—it will make you cry.

New Visitors at the Fair this Year— Non-traditional Guinea Pig families and Peacocks are going to be unusual and welcoming first animals this year. They are the introductory animals who are holding down the fort until the well-loved barn animals arrive. The Petting Zoo baby animals will be at the fair from beginning to end. The competitive barn animals won’t arrive until next week, along with the crops, flowers, and pumpkins and other giant vegetables. There is going to be a live stream of the tiny, baby chicks incubation and birth!

Pre-Palmer Fairgrounds—It’s a fascinating and remarkable, small city being built at the fair grounds. Hundreds of little structures are now casting new shadows on the earth. They’re made of lumber, pallets, canvas, logs, and metal. Most are very small tiny places. But there are some oversized ones too. Each is designed with the ultimate fairgoer customer in mind. Each has a whole crew of invested builders and proprietors. There is some major creativity in these structures. The walking trails, gardens, signage, trash cans, recycle facilities and restrooms are all part of this grand stage of The Alaska State Fair.

Our Fair Shares—Did you know that the Alaska Midnight Sun great pumpkin weigh off social media post reached over 1.6 million people last year? Did you know that cardboard accounted for 86,000 pounds of recyclable materials last year? Did you know that all the giant vegetables get picked up and transported to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to feed the bears and other wild animals? Did you know that the gardens at the State Fair provided much of the food donated to Kid’s Cupboard? Did you know that over 500 vendors participate in the annual fair? Did you know that the Alaska State Fair fuels our students’ futures with $7500 worth of scholarship funds? Did you know that the associated Rebarchek Agricultural Park is offering educational opportunities to our community with potato planting, crop initiatives, harvest events and classes? Our State Fair gives back continually, all year round, to our lucky community. Please enjoy it!

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff on the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222