The Washington State Fair swings open its gates in Puyallup on Friday for a 20-day run through Sept. 27, and this year's opening weekend comes with an unusually generous perk: every kid 18 and under gets in free. Weekday general admission runs $15 online or $16 at the gate, while weekend tickets cost $18 online or $20 at the gate, according to the fair website.
The free-admission promotion for minors, running Sept. 4 through Sept. 7, is part of BECU's Free Kids Weekend and goes beyond the fair's standard policy of free entry for children under 5, according to BECU. Families looking to stretch their visit further can also grab a coupon for a free weekday return ticket during opening weekend, part of the fair's nod to America's 250th anniversary — guests just need to stop by a guest services booth inside each gate to redeem it, per the fair website, as reported by the Tacoma News Tribune. Those coupons are valid for admission on Sept. 10-11, 14, 16-18, 21, 23-25 and 28.
Season Passes and Ride Deals
Bargain hunters can also lock in a season pass for $59.50 that covers unlimited visits for the entire run. For thrill-seekers, Dizzy Passes offer unlimited rides at Funtastic Thrillville and Sillyville for a single day, though they don't include fair gate admission. Weekday Dizzy Passes cost $60 and are valid Sept. 10, 11, 14, 16-18, 21, 23-25, while Weekend and Holiday Dizzy Passes run $70 and apply on Sept. 7, 12 and 13, per the News Tribune's report.
The fair's Value Menu program also returns on weekdays, offering select $12 meals and $8 deals, according to the fair website. The discount program cuts prices on featured food items by 25 to 50 percent, giving budget-conscious visitors a way to sample fair food without blowing through their wallets in one visit.
New and Returning Exhibits
Agriculture remains central to the fair's identity, and the expanded Our Food, Our Farms, Our Washington exhibit returns for 2026 with a focus on agricultural science and technology, commodity groups and timber. The Agriplex will once again host its cattle birthing exhibit, letting visitors watch live cattle births up close.
Younger fairgoers have their own dedicated space at The Farm at Sillyville, a free hands-on exhibit spanning 1.5 acres and returning in partnership with MultiCare. Billed on the fair website as a farmer-for-a-day experience for young children, it's open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Entertainment, Culture Days and Fireworks
The fair's programming leans heavily into its America 250 theme this year, with the Washington State250 exhibit, American-themed drumline shows, and a Sept. 4 meeting-and-greet with a George Washington reenactor. The Roadstars Jazz Band and AmirrorCan Men performances round out the entertainment lineup, alongside creative and culinary arts contests.
Asia Pacific Cultural Day lands on Sept. 5 at the Showplace Stage, featuring performances representing India, Samoa, China, Cambodia, New Zealand and Thailand. Fireworks Spectacular shows light up the fairgrounds on Sept. 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 10 p.m. The fair is closed on Tuesdays and on Sept. 9.
Community-minded fairgoers can take part in the KOMO Opening Day Food Drive on Sept. 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., which offers free admission to those who bring suggested donations of non-perishable, non-expired food, according to the fair website. Proceeds from the drive support the Puyallup Food Bank.
The Big Ticket Events Cost Extra
Gate admission covers agricultural exhibits and daytime programming, but the fair's biggest entertainment anchors require separate tickets. The 2026 Grandstand concert series brings in marquee names including “Weird Al” Yankovic, Little Big Town, Jon Batiste and Ice Cube, with ticket prices starting in the mid-$50s to high-$60s range, as Hoodline previously reported.
Later in the run, the fairgrounds host the 93rd annual Puyallup Rodeo from Sept. 10 through Sept. 13. The event serves as the official PRCA Cinch Playoff Wild Card, where top national cowboys compete for a shot at the Governor's Cup and the National Finals Rodeo, according to KING 5.
A Century-Plus of History Behind the Fun
The scale of the event is hard to overstate: more than 1 million people are expected to pass through the 160-acre fairgrounds over the 20-day run, making it the single largest annual civic event and tourism draw in the state, per Secret Seattle. That scale earned the fair runner-up honors in USA Today's 2026 10Best Readers' Choice award for Best State Fair in the country, the same outlet notes.
Some of the fair's charm comes from attractions with real history behind them. The Classic Coaster, a 55-foot wooden roller coaster designed by John A. Miller, opened in 1935 and is designated an official Roller Coaster Landmark by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. Fisher Fair Scones, served warm with butter and raspberry jam, have been a fair staple since 1915, with roughly 1.25 million sold each season, according to HeraldNet.
The fairgrounds also carry a far darker chapter of local history. From April to September 1942, the site was seized by the federal government and operated as the Puyallup Assembly Center, known as “Camp Harmony,” forcibly detaining more than 7,300 Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066 before their transfer to inland concentration camps, according to the Puyallup Valley Chapter JACL.
Getting There Without the Gridlock
Despite its name, the Washington State Fair isn't run by state government at all — it's owned and operated by the Western Washington Fair Association, a private non-profit that pays the City of Puyallup a $50,000 annual enterprise license fee for municipal support, according to city records. Downtown Puyallup's streets and parking lots strain under the crowds each September, a pressure Hoodline has previously detailed.
To ease the load, Pierce Transit runs dedicated Fair Express bus routes six days a week, connecting regional Park & Ride lots directly to the fair's Blue Gate for the duration of the event, according to Pierce Transit. It's a practical alternative for anyone hoping to skip the hunt for parking during one of the busiest stretches on Puyallup's civic calendar.
