Evergreen State Fair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Evergreen State Fair |
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![]() The 2006 Evergreen State Fair
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Genre | State fair |
Date(s) | Late August – Early September |
Frequency | Annually |
Location(s) | Monroe, Washington, U.S. |
The Evergreen State Fair is a super fun event that happens every year in Monroe, Washington! It's a huge fair, lasting for 12 days from late August until Labor Day. Imagine the biggest county fair in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States – that's it! It's also the largest yearly attraction in Snohomish County.
The fairgrounds are massive, covering 193 acres. That's like 193 football fields! These grounds are located in Monroe, about 35 miles northeast of Seattle and 12 miles east of Everett. People can even rent parts of the fairgrounds for other events throughout the year, making it a valuable community resource.
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Awesome Fairgrounds Facilities
What's cool about the Evergreen State Fairgrounds is that they have awesome permanent buildings. These are used all year long for things like horse shows, trade shows, and even car races! You'll find the Gary Weikel Events Center there, which is a big building for different activities.
And guess what? It's home to the Evergreen Speedway! This is the ONLY NASCAR race track in Washington state. It has a huge covered grandstand that seats 7,000 people. There's also a large sports arena that can fit 4,000 people. Plus, there are areas for RVs (recreational vehicles) if you want to camp!
A Look Back: Fair History
The very first agricultural show in Snohomish County happened way back in November 1874. Farmers and tradesmen showed off their goods in a building in Snohomish. The Snohomish County Agricultural Society organized these yearly fairs until 1878. They even sent exhibits to a bigger fair in Olympia! However, they had to stop because of a big financial problem across the country.
Other fairs were held in different towns like Everett and Monroe. The Snohomish County Fairgrounds were officially set up in 1911. The fair moved to Granite Falls in 1922. Later, during tough times like the Great Depression and World War II, smaller community fairs took place around Monroe.
The Fair Finds its Permanent Home
The county fair finally moved permanently to Monroe. It opened at the modern-day fairgrounds on September 5, 1946. In 1949, it was officially renamed the Evergreen State Fair. A big 4,000-seat sports arena was finished in 1970. This was also when the fair started running for a longer ten-day period.
Times the Fair Was Cancelled
The fair has only been cancelled three times in its long history. It was cancelled during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, during World War II, and more recently during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fair Today
As of 2023, the Evergreen State Fair runs for 12 days. It usually has one break day in between. The fair is also very eco-friendly! About 45 percent of all the waste from the fair is recycled or composted as part of a special county program.