Food & Drink

Thrills & Chills at the Washington State Fair

Do the Washington State Fair this September

By Claire Buss and Brangien Davis August 26, 2013

0913wa-fair2_1

This article originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of Seattle Magazine.

People have been “doing the Puyallup” since 1900, and though this year the name has been changed to the more staid Washington State Fair (thefair.com), more than 1 million visitors are expected to attend the rural extravaganza of blue-ribbon food, breathtaking rides and rodeo broncs. But it’s not all fun and games at this treasured state ritual. Here we’ve assembled our picks for the most titillating and terrifying facts about the big event.

 

THRILLING

Dozens of Recipes Using Almond Roca
We hereby volunteer to taste-test all of them,
for the good of the state of Washington.

CHILLING

The Rainier Rush
The brand-new inverted-loop roller coaster
has us thinking the dozens of Almond
Roca samples weren’t such a great idea….

570 Rabbits
Expect that number to increase
exponentially by the end of the first day.

An Evening with Kid Rock
What exactly takes place during an “evening” with
Kid Rock? A moonlit stroll around the fairgrounds?
Never mind, we’re pretty sure we don’t want to know

Giant Pumpkin Competition
Last year’s winning gourd weighed in at
1,246 pounds. Did somebody say pie?

“2,590 wieners served as hot dogs”

This stat from last year’s fair makes us worry:
How many were served as something else?

Deep-fried Lemonade

Surely this culinary feat represents
a giant step for humankind!


5,600,000 Linear Feet of Toilet Paper

The amount plied at the 2012 fair—and it
wasn’t used to TP the Pig Palace.

 

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