The Kitsap County Fair and Stampede set to kick off for 99th year of food, vendors and rides
The Kitsap County Fair and Stampede kicks off on Wednesday, and organizers are promising some of the old favorites and new elements in the fair’s 99th year. Here's the rundown of this year's event.
More food, vendors, rides — and people
Last year, the Kitsap Fair and Stampede Association had eight weeks to put on the fair after statewide COVID-19 restrictions on large events were lifted. The fair was canceled in 2020.
It was rough going for the organization, which was putting on its first fair and rodeo since Kitsap County decided to give up the event and turn it over to a nonprofit board, said Rich Nestor, fair director and vice president of the association.
Now, with a full year to plan the five-day event, the board has had ample time to secure sponsors, sign up vendors, plan entertainment and improve the fair experience, Nestor said.
In addition to a jam-packed Fairgrounds Pavillion of vendors, the parking lot that hosts fair food concessions will be full, Nestor said. After a smaller-than-usual carnival last year, Funtastic Traveling Shows is bringing 18 different rides from three different carnivals to the fair, and it will be set up in a new location — the parking lot in front of the Pavilion.
Last year’s fair attendance was down 30% from a more typical year, Nestor said, at 48,000 visitors. Organizers are preparing for as many as 75,000-80,000 people this year.
Fewer chickens due to avian flu
Because of the ongoing outbreak of avian flu in Washington state, there will be no poultry at the fair this year (aside from those who are “terminal,” or heading to auction).
But, those youth who raised poultry to be shown will still have their work judged. Among the tasks on Nestor’s to-do list during the lead-up to the fair was to order 100 picture frames where photos of the birds will be displayed (for judges and fair-goers).
While the birds are on avian flu lockdown, the rabbits this year will be “socially distanced,” said Kharissa Hamilton, livestock coordinator for the fair. The presence of RHDV2 (also known as rabbit hemorrhagic disease) in a nearby county has fair officials on alert.
As for the rest of the animals (sheep, miniature horses, goats and more): “Our barns are going to be pretty darn full over what they’ve been, and we’re pretty excited about that,” Nestor said.
Those carnival wristbands
Funtastic Traveling Shows will bring its rides and games to the fair for the second year. The carnival begins at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and 11 a.m. on Thursday through Sunday. The carnival ends at 11 p.m. each day except Sunday, when it ends at 6 p.m.
This year the use of unlimited ride wristbands is limited to Friday. They cost $50 and had to be purchased by Aug. 19.
Nestor acknowledged the limits placed on carnival wristbands were not popular this year. But, he said the carnival industry is struggling with a shortage of workers and a host of other factors (rising fuel prices among them) that make unlimited wristbands no longer financially sustainable for many companies.
“As an industry, it’s costing them too much money,” Nestor said.
He said fair organizers worked with Funtastic to find a way to have them this year.
“They were able to give us a day to have them still,” he said, adding “It was a huge thing the community wanted, which they were able to bring in.”
Walking around with your alcoholic beverage
Those attending the rodeo at Thunderbird Stadium or going to the nearby “Chuters,” a bar next to the “Thunder Road” stage, will no longer have to stay in the beer garden to enjoy alcoholic beverages.
New this year is a “walk-around liquor license” that will allow those to carry their drink from one of the vendors selling alcohol to their seats in the stadium.
“It’s a big thing, it’s brand new,” Nestor said, adding “there’s a lot of security with it.” He said ramped-up security will have the fair feeling like a small version of T-Mobile Park or Lumen Field.
No more cats + archery
One of the biggest Kitsap County Fair traditions is the Cats/Archery barn, where feline husbandry has always been paired with the sport of archery.
This year, there are no cats being shown at the fair, and archery gets a new barn home. Cats/Archery this year will be the “Agriculture Education” barn, where fair-goers can hear from speakers discussing topics ranging from gardening to raising poultry.
Next door, at the “Milking Parlor,” there will be cows and live milking demonstrations, something fair organizers said is back from previous fairs.
Entertainment for young and old
There is no “headliner” at the fair this year, Nestor said, hinting that the board is planning on something big for its 100th year next summer.
There will be two stages this year: the main stage in front of the fair office on the grounds and “Thunder Road” in front of Thunderbird Stadium. Nestor said he was excited about the variety of acts performing over the five days, including perennial Kitsap performer “Heart by Heart.”
“(We have) a lot of bigger acts, but not national acts,” he said.
New for this year is the circus company Vuelta La Luna, which will be performing in the “Kids Zone” throughout the fair. The zone will also contain games and features like giant Jenga.
A 9-by-15 foot video wall by the main stage will broadcast performers, schedules and feature photos of fair participants.
Admission
Admission to the fair is free, while parking is $10 (cash only, according to the fair’s Facebook page). Ticket prices to the rodeo events range from $10 to $20. Tickets to Sunday afternoon’s Destruction Derby, also at Thunderbird Stadium, also range from $10 to $20.
Purchase tickets at https://www.eventspass.com/event/2022KitsapFair. For more about the fair, visit https://www.kitsapfair.org/.
Kimberly Rubenstein is the local news editor of the Kitsap Sun. She can be reached at kimberly.rubenstein@kitsapsun.com or 360-792-5263. Support coverage of local news by signing up today for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap County Fair 2022: Tickets, dates, food, drinks, more
