More than 1 million served: facts and figures

This year's theme: "It's a Doozy."

Official name: Western Washington Fair.

The basics: The Puyallup Fair, founded in 1900, is the sixth-largest fair in attendance in America and eighth in the world. Last year's attendance: 1,117,707.

Traditional fair favorites include the farm-animal barns, art exhibits, home-arts competitions, photography, hobby hall, carnival rides, strolling entertainers, 4-H and FFA judgings and events, and barkers pitching all manner of goods, from hot tubs to kitchen knives.

Favorite foods: Scones, dripping with butter and raspberry jam. Also the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Burgers.

Rodeo: 1 and 6 p.m. today, 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday ($17.50-$28.50, includes fair admission; a rodeo season ticket for all five rodeos costs $75).

New this year:

Fair preview


The Puyallup Fair, today through Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 110 Ninth Ave. S.W., at Meridian Street, Puyallup; $10 a day, $7 ages 6-18 and 62 and older, free ages 5 and younger (discounted tickets available at Columbia Bank and Safeway Stores; other discount packages available, including Military Appreciation Days this Saturday through Tuesday, with $5 admission to active, reserve and retired military and their dependents, and disabled veterans with valid military ID; and free opening-day admission 10 a.m.-noon today); parking, $7 Mondays-Fridays, $8 Saturdays and Sundays (253-841-5045, www.thefair.com or www.doozy.net).

• SillyVille: At 5 acres, it's triple the size of the old Kiddyland, with more rides, a new vintage train and station and a new SillyVille Food Court with kids' value meals.

• ToonzVille: Costumed characters from "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Rugrats," "Dora the Explorer" and "Jimmy Neutron" at various times during the fair.

• Mutton Bustin': Young contestants attempt to stay on a sheep for eight seconds, just like bull-riders do (daily participant entry fee: $5).

• Sportsfest: Displays, artifacts and interactive experiences celebrating sports in America.

• WB Crash the Backlot Tour: Free Xbox gaming tent, prizes, free snacks, WB costumed characters, sound and animation studios.

Special events: Western Rodeo Parade & Cattle Drive, 10 a.m. today on Meridian Street in Puyallup; the Great Pumpkin weigh-in and carving displays, today through Sept. 24; Fiestas Patrias Latino Day Celebration, noon-9 p.m. Sept. 17; Outdoor Life/Field and Stream exhibit, today through Sunday; Washington Army National Guard exhibit, Sept. 22-24; U.S. Marines, Sept. 15-17; Back to the Track Weekend, celebrating NASCAR, Sept. 22-24.

Special competitions: "Fastest Fingers in the West" knitting and crochet contest, Tuesday; "Dance Classics Competition," Tuesday-next Friday; "Battle of the Idols," with $3,000 in prizes, Sept. 16-17; "Karaoke Contest," with $4,400 in prizes, Sept. 18-22.

Public transportation: From Seattle, Sound Transit routes go to the Tacoma Dome Station, where it is an easy transfer to Pierce Transit's "Fair Express" ($3 round-trip; information: 888-889-6368, www.thefair.com/soundtransit or www.soundtransit.org).

— Patrick MacDonald,

Seattle Times music critic