We came here for a Christmas ornament bizarre but it ended up being so much more! Tons of homemade stuff like blueberry jellies to dandelion jelly it was great. We got some freshly made pork grids and some extremely delicious homemade cookies. Lots of friendly vendors and lots of great deals. read more

Alaska State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Palmer, Alaska

We received our tickets before arriving, so we were able to skip the long line of people waiting for tickets. There was a lot of walking involved, so wheelchairs were available for day use. This was extremely helpful for individuals who needed some help. Several stages were spread out across the fairgrounds for various entertainment. A barbershop quartet performed and hubby judged them to be good. Fair food variety was the name of the game - hubby ate spinach bread, blueberry crisp with whipped cream on top. Several native dance/singing groups also performed. One beautiful dance re-enacted by the group was of the "Eagle". A horse exhibition was performed under a tent - hubby thought he almost was run down. That group was from Florida, a happy coincidence. A puppy show was also seen outdoors in the red section. Rescue dogs were trained to perform various tricks, amusing everyone who saw them. Be prepared to take things slowly at the Fair - it's very crowded and the fairgrounds are large and very spread out. read more

The Alaska State Fair is an experience. It is the best state fair I have had the pleasure of attending, comparing it to Washington's and Oregon's it is far superior. I like how they really cater to our community of creatives versus having vendor after vendor be multi level marketing scammers, though there are at least 3-5 vendors that are MLM. The food at the fair is exceptional, whether you want Thai food, Mexican street corn, or a whole crab leg - they've got it. I'm not a ride person, so I can't speak to them. The giant vegetables are so cool and unique to Alaska, they are a must see! read more

The Alaska State Fair has already passed, it was from August 16- September 2. This state fair has been around since 1936 and has plenty of things to see and do for everyone. You can see monstrous size vegetables, shop for Alaskan made gifts and craft items, ride all the fun rides, watch the 4-H shows and animals, check out all the local art and stuff your face with all the tasty culinary treats While visiting Alaska, My husband and I made time in our trip to visit the state fair. We came on a Friday evening, a little after 8 pm (it cost $17/ person on Fridays through Sundays. Parking is free). We found parking and paid for our admission and then proceeded to walk around. We just happened to see an American Ninja Warriors flag by the Holland America Princess Event Tent and so we decided to go inside since we are fans of the show. Unfortunately at that time, the course challenge they had scheduled at 5 pm had just recently ended. But Nick Hanson, also known as the famous Eskimo Ninja, came over and greeted us. He was so kind to talk to us and give us some suggestions on local places to eat and also tell us a little bit more about the Eskimo culture. That definitely made my evening to meet a local celebrity. For the reminding time, we enjoyed seeing those gigantic vegetables, many different variations of beautiful flowers, various farm animals and small animals, artistic items made by locals and eating funnel cake. One major downfall on our visit was that it was raining and eventually started to pour towards the end of the evening. Also wished we had arrived sooner but we weren't able to get down to Palmer any earlier. Overall, it was a fun visit and would come back if I lived here. read more

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I've never been to a state fair before and today was the last day so I was glad to make it. The Alaska State Fair lived up to what you believe a state fair to be, large fruits and vegetables and fried everything! There were a lot of vendors, performers and food galore. I enjoyed the raindeer sausage with toppings of onions, jalapeños and spicy mustard. The jerky was a favorite of mine as well, I like hot food so I got the pepper jerky it was good and spicy not too chewy very flavorful. As far as the vendors they were standard some head very nice handmade jewelry. people from all over the world living or visiting Alaska selling their handmade items was a nice touch. Nothing was overpriced. The most impressive part of the fair was the performance by the Native Americans passing down the traditions for many generations. During the performances they told stories the meaning of the dance or the song it was very inspirational and enjoyable. read more

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Very very crowded! I guess that means it's a popular & successful venue, right! This state fair does not disappoint. There's lots and lots of food options, attractions, & vendors for great locally made items. There are not many rides, which is different from most big fairs that I've been to. But overall, still a great experience! read more

Born and raised Alaskan here, I've gone to the fair every year that I can remember. When I was a kid I'd ride the big purple slide and I kept a giant green frog I won at one of the games, and I kept a large purple smiley face balloon for way too long. Now that I'm an adult I still love the fair. My #1 is fried cheese curds(they do attend bear paw usually too) oh the fried cheese curds are so amazing. I always get a corn dog, kettle corn, and others. This year on my list was: Fried cheese curds($9) kettle corn($5) fried peaches(really good) ($11) fried pickles (they were ok, cornmeal and payed extra for ranch $15!!) Talkeetna spinach bread (really delicious) ($9) I also like to get corn dogs, Parmesan taco from taco dans, funnel cake, veggies and potatoes, and probly ice cream and nachos. Our friends are a new food truck this year, the Hungry Deckhand. They are by the concert venue and they make giant sandwiches with hearty insides ($19) We checked out the new expedition BBQ place and their tacos with Macadamia nut honey glaze were SO GOOD We actually went twice in 2022 because we saw Darci Lynn perform. They added metal detectors and a whole bunch of rules of what you could not bring in. Some people had to have their belongings in a bag to be picked up after the show. I think they were having trouble with people with wagons full of kids taking up a lot of room on the grass. That was our issue last year when we saw Portugal the man. But I saw some people with bags bigger than what they said was allowed. So not sure. Prices for the shows are based on the performer. It is cheaper to sit on the dead grass then It is to be in the area with chairs or no chairs closer to the stage. Slower singers and misc. acts get chairs(like darci Lynn) but no chairs for rock or high energy shows. Also no cover for the venue. I've heard rumors before that they are hoping to upgrade the venue to cover it since it always rains and you never know what the weather will be when you buy tickets a long time ago. I honestly doubt they will upgrade it tho. They said they were going to pave the parking lot when they started charging for parking as well. There is also a wet and dry side. Ive seen Hot Chelle Rae, Phillip Phillips, pentatonix, Portugal the man, and Darcy Lynn at the fair. Other things at the fair are a kids zone, reptile house, art, baked goods and photography contests. Sewing quilts, petting zoo, animals like goats, cows and sheep and pigs are usually the last weekend of the fair. The giant vegetables are weighed in and displayed for the last week of the fair. There are TONS of activities going on but it depends what day you go. They have a program for each day and each day is a different theme or sponser. Starting in 2020 till now they open on a Thursday, they are open for three weekends in a row and they are closed on tuesdays and wednesdays. Typically the last two weeks of august and the first week of setember with labor always being the last day. Must not forget about the LUMBERJACK show!!! It is the same exact thing every single year but I still love it every year. You must not skip that event. Parking is $5. Admission varies it is around 10-15$ you can get concert tickets with fair admission included or not. $10 added to the concert ticket if you do. 2022. Regular adult is $16 for the weekend Kids are 11. Thursdays and mondays are 14 and 10. Seniors are kid price. We always get the Costco 4 pack and share with my parents. So it's $10 a ticket. Overall I think it's a great event we have. I'm bummed we have kinda regular food, nobody does the crazy fried twinkies or fried Oreos or weird food. Not every vendor is friendly. But most are just so busy slammed. It is pretty clean as well. Lots of volunteers and staff make this happen. Bathrooms are ok. Spread throughout. They get some new rides once in awhile. Not sure about ride prices. Everything you can find about the fair is on Alaskastatefair.org read more

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Nice experience, not a super big fair. Great way to support small business. A lot of food vendors to choose from, most don't accept card. Small variety of carnival games, and rides read more

Alaska State Fair - Cathy & Jolie Candy Cabin - Festivals Near Me - Palmer, Alaska

Being Alaska born and raised I guess you could say I'm a little bias when it comes to our State Fair. Let's be honest, there's not much to look forward to here. As a child, I looked forward to every August not only is it my birthday month, we have the state fair. If it's a sunny day I recommend trying to come right at opening. Depending on where you park you may walk past a farm, oh the smells, or be greeted by a stage concert. I recommend walking through the vendors first, especially for food, bc I guarantee the lines will be ridiculous by the late afternoon. Here, at the state fair you have endless amounts of vendors selling anything from henna tattoos to Alaska weather gear. There are tents of items to peruse for every age group. From the hippies in your life, to the outdoorsman, for children and for your grandparents. Be ready to do some walking. You could literally pay your entrance fee solely to eat and shop. The eateries here are unique and endless. Not to mention there are about 3-4 different places where you can grab a drink if you are of legal age. There are many seating areas scattered throughout the fairgrounds as well as grassy areas. We're lucky to have 3-4 large bathroom facilities with plumbing on the fairgrounds also. Although I did notice this year (Summer 2021) the cleanliness and upkeep has gone down, (toilets full to the top, ew) likely due to the inability for most businesses to be fully staffed recently. If you have kids, or want to enjoy the thrills there are many rides and games for your entertainment. They have many FREE kid friendly educational expos off to the side, in buildings you may not notice. Walk-in and see all the things :) Okay back to the rides and games...If you haven't found out by now, you will soon find out this will be no cheap outting. The state fair definitely makes its money off the game/ride tickets. They are steep and go SO quick, you wonder what just happened. Easily the most uncomfortable part of the fair. One of the best parts of the fair is their summer concert series. What I like the most is this is one of few times Alaska is able to get artists CURRENTLY on the billboard charts to do a live show here. It's a total treat for everyone bc it's right on the fairgrounds so even if you don't purchase a ticket you can hear everything. The fair opens till 10pm most days (or everyday it's open) and it's a super romantic sensory experience to see all the lights and ride a ride at night. Lastly, If you're not fond of reunions like me, this may just be the place you run into that person you thought you'd never see again. Enjoy! read more

I heard about the State Fair on the radio my last couple of days in the state and decided, as I was close to Anchorage, why not? Overall, I would definitely recommend going at least once if you've never been. I tried ax throwing for instance (and actually hit at 2 on the target after my initial sad warm up shot didn't stick). There was also an Alaska Native section with native crafts and foods. (The Rhubarb Eskimo pie was to die for.) I tried a Donut Burger - highly overrated and just eh. (In all honestly, I threw about 1/3 of it in the trash). I also watched a lumberjack show. However, I was extremely disappointed as both the foods on offer and the vendor booths were by and large not very specific to Alaska or very unique. For instance, the Texas State Fair is noted for all of the weird fried foods you can eat such as fried twinkies. With the exception of the few frybread based foods such as the above Eskimo Pie (so titled by the Alaska Natives themselves) and the very eh Donut Burger, I didn't find a lot of unique foods or things I couldn't eat at any carnival, fair or restaurant district anywhere in the United States. That was quite disappointing. It was also disappointing that the farm displays such as the gigantic veggies and livestock were not opened almost the 1st full week of the fair. Yes, I wanted to see the crazy large produce and such. It was disappointing that this, which one could argue is a big draw for State Fairs, was closed. It made it all feel more like a carnival than a State Fair with only the rides, food and shopping stalls being open aside from a craft display area. All in all it took about 4 hours in and out before I was ready to go - and this was with me leisurely checking out everything and returning to a couple of areas. Also to be aware of: There isn't much mask wear (as in most areas of Alaska that I visited) with folks like me sticking out like a sore thumb. Parking is in a field which can get quite muddy with rains. Buy your pass online ahead of time and you can just walk straight to the entrance (skipping the lines). read more

Not as big as the State Fair of Texas, BUT my wife says we don't have lumberjacks in Texas! It was a fabulous day with the music of Billy Idol going on and some excellent crab cakes and shopping! BEAUTIFUL setting!!! read more

Alaska State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Palmer, Alaska

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The Alaska State Fair is just the best fair ever. For starters, the location is phenominal... So where you're puking your brains out after going on the Gravitron, you can use those GORGEOUS snow capped mountains as a focal point. Most of the vendors have very nice semi-permanent booths and there was MUCH more variety than I expected. There was lots of agricultural and hand-craft on display. The quilts were amazing. The rides were you're usual over-priced carny t ypes. The food was to die for, most are cash only. Lots of live shows, free and fee for admission. You've just got to see the flower displays and the giant veggies. All in all a really great experience. The fair's a pricey outing, but you need to do it at least once a year. read more

Everyone at my job had been talking this place up so much. I've been to some fairs throughout my life and this one definitely hits near the top of the list. The sheer amount of booths is a bit overwhelming. There are sooo many. There is a mix though. There will be a clothing booth, next to a halibut booth, next to a game. It's like that throughout the whole place. We arrived around 530 on a Friday. It seemed to be that we were coming in after lots of people had left. We parked right up near the entrance in about the third row. There were plenty of spots even closer. Leaving was another thing all together. It only took about 2 minutes to exit the fair, but all roads around were clogged and we waited a solid half an hour to move 2 miles. The petting zoo closes at 8. Check out the blacksmith over by the AG barn. Not as many pepper and sausage places as I've come to expect at fairs....or at least I couldn't find them. Concert venue has a huge screen. Great camera work during the concert! read more

Staff member was horribly rude, took people out of line/order. I would go any place else. read more

Alaska State Fair - Fair Hair - Festivals Near Me - Palmer, Alaska

I love our fair. It's like a big family gathering with familiar faces, food smells that remind you of your childhood, music for every generation, good or bad weather everyone complains about, chatter about crops, canning, cattle, and crafts, and its best if you go some time between visits. read more

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As far as State Fairs goes, but also being from California, I'd say this is a solid one in terms of being a place you can take the family and it's not all too expensive. Whereas in the Los Angeles area, the food vendors would charge x3 as much for items, here in Alaska, pricing is not gauged and is reasonable. The only thing, and this is coming from an out of town tourists perspective, that was missing was maybe vendors and exhibits featuring more of the local history and culture of Alaska. The had the same 4H fair exhibits, food vendors, random merchandise vendors, but nothing that to me, seeking souvenirs shouted out "This is unique to Alaska" But for locals, and tourists alike it was a fun experience. I think parking was $5 and admission was $15 for adults and $10 for seniors. read more

Alaska State Fair - Pork Chop on a Stick for $5 - Festivals Near Me - Palmer, Alaska

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I like this fair since it's really my only option near Anchorage. I could go to Fairbanks or Tok, but those options are over a 5 hour drive and this one is under an hour. Another nifty travel option is to take the train round trip that costs $16 and there is no hassle of driving or parking. Downside is that it takes almost 2 hours each way to travel, but there are great views and could be a good time to visit with friends in the bistro car. There are a few entrances to the fair, but I usually go through the main entrance which is located on the south side of the event. There are many booths and presentations and there is almost always some event taking place throughout the day. This year I came twice and each time was memorable. For eats I got fresh crab legs, raw oysters, and Indian Valley hot dogs. I also got a cup of coffee that wasn't too shabby. I like hitting Raven Hall because I like to buy cooking gadgets at a reduced rate. So far I have bought my Vitamix here and a set of Vollrath pans. The booths are cool, but having been to some other festivals I noticed an upcharge on some of the products which made me a little miffed. The rides are great, though don't some of them scream imminent death at the loss of the cotter pin holding it all together? No dogs, so please don't bring them and leave them in your car. There were some hot days out there and I saw a few people in line with dogs on a leash so I don't know if they made it in or had to go back to the car. read more

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Too expensive for it's size !! County fairs in lower 48 don't cost $13+$5 for parking.. Shouldn't cost $18 to just to get in then another $25 to get a sandwich and drink !!! Typical Alaskan greed !!! read more

I came down here earlier today with some family and friends to take full advantage of the sunny weather we were fortunate enough to get from a mostly cloudy, dreary month of August. The State Fair has been a longtime favorite for me over the years with memories that go back into the mid-80's when I came here for the first time. We decided to go on a Tuesday and sure enough, our hunch was right on it not being too crowded. We arrived at the gate around noon and the timing couldn't have been better. A lady standing next to us had some extra coupons on a buy one ticket, get one ticket free and was gracious enough to give us a couple for our group. Score! We saved a significant amount of money for several of us at $13.00 a ticket. A great start for our visit! Once we came in, all of us looked at each other and we all instinctively knew what we had to get first after waiting in anticipation all morning: FOOD! We headed down to the Midway area south of the Purple Trail to grab some not-so-healthy goodies. Since I had a light breakfast, now was the time to throw caution to the wind and eat whatever my heart desired. I went to a booth called the Fatty Shack and ordered a Hog Dog to start off the eating spree. This was a very unhealthy, but oh so good deep-fried Corn Dog that was layered with strips of bacon and then deep-fried again on top of that. I could feel my arteries clogging up as I happily finished this, but that's all a part of the fun. Some of us opted for a more traditional offering like Corn on the Cob, always a delicious and reliable choice for Fair food. The next place I stopped at was a booth that specialized in pretzels located east of the farm exhibits. One item on the menu caught my eye: a ginormous Pretzel Breadstick stuffed with pepperoni and mozzarella sprinkled with lots of oregano. This was unbelievably good and the size rivaled the Chicken Bakes you would see at Costco. A family friend decided to try out the Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken at one of the Chinese food booths a couple of doors down. She said the portion was so huge and delicious she couldn't even finish half of it. The next place we stopped at was a booth that served peanut potatoes with a mayonnaise-style dipping sauce. The unique taste of peanuts and potatoes fried together was an awesome combination that made me wonder why sports bars or franchises don't serve this on a mainstream level especially with football season upon us. Last but not least, we decided to get dessert at the St. Michael's Catholic Church tent where they are famous for their homemade pies. I ordered a slice of Strawberry Rhubarb and another friend chose a slice of Dutch Apple Pie. The pies here are some of the best you'll ever have, no joke. After dessert, we decided to join in on some of the shows and check out the usual favorites like the Farm Animal and Vegetable Exhibits. We even caught a show on bicyclists performing daredevil stunts on ramps and doing freestyle moves. After a few hours of walking, we were all tired and ready to go. All that food was making me feel sleepy, so I decided to get a coffee drink on the way home. I made a stop over at the Kaladi Bros. coffee stand close to the exhibit that had a really cool display of gigantic bumble bees made with various flowers like the floats you would see at the Tournament of Roses Parade down in Pasadena. I wanted something strong to keep me alert and sure enough, Kaladi's never disappoints and had a special offering for the fair. I ordered the Death Wish Mocha which was a 20oz. mocha flavored with cocoa and amaretto that had six shots of espresso! I drank the whole thing and after a short while, I happily volunteered to drive everyone back home. This was another fun and memorable year for us as we look forward to next year for more creative and artery-clogging delicacies. read more

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Being a "sophisticated, New York urbanite", I was definitely not ready for all the awesomness of this place! Lots of displays, saw a goat getting milked for the first time, ate deep fried cheese curds (one of the most deliciously fattening things you can ever eat), saw lots of animals, cheered on a pig race, passed by an NRA booth, saw 900+ pound vegetables --- what's not to love?! And discovered birch syrup, which totally destroyed maple syrup for me. Please go here when visiting Alaska --- it is so worth it. read more

The AK state fair is a rollicking good time. The flower exhibit is my favorite, with the biggest, brightest, most beautiful flowers ranging from dahlias and roses to the most temperamental orchid and lilies. Then, of course, there's the gargantuan produce that can only grow under the long summer days you get in the northern latitudes. Then, there's the food. It's hard for me to not immediately stuff myself with fresh mini-doughnuts, Denali cream puffs, Doughnation cookies, crab cakes, halibut, salmon quesadillas, fried zucchini, oysters, and even a doughnut burger upon arriving that I can't stay upright to peruse the many and varied booths. I'm riding a massive sugar high even as I type. The diversity of wares is nice, ranging from local faves like AK Starfish, Mermaid Imports, Lulu e Bebe, AK Grown, and Woolies for clothes, and local honey, syrup, and confection conveyors. Housewares, jewelry, knock knack, stickers, signs, you name it, they got it. Throughout the fair, there are fun shows to attend, like today's Garrison Keillor Prairie Home Companion, and music events (though I'm bummed Pat Benetar had to cancel). My last visit here was ten years ago, but it's as fun as I remember (and even the fanatical pro-life crazy asses have upped their game since then, having taken down their gory pathos-fest posters in favor of more family-friendly oppression propaganda). A great way to ring in the end of summer/fall season and prepare for the long dark winter haul with a full belly and happy memories and maybe a few souvenirs. read more

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What a fun event to attend during my second trip to Alaska. Summertime in Alaska has great weather in the 50-60s. There are plenty of sunny days and you can go to the State Fair with your friends and family. Gather the kids and stroll around the fairgrounds for a day of fun. I came with my sister, brother in law and their two children to see what was going on. They had bought the tickets in advance so I am unsure of the pricing. Like almost every other State Fair you get all of your fun carnival rides to include the Ferris Wheel, bumper cars or the Zipper. Those crazy rides the shoot you in the air are also here. Then you get a lot of booths that are also found normally at the downtown market. Providing local food and souvenirs to buy. I ate a salmon quesadilla with an amazing cilantro sour cream dip. There are also sections where you can view the prized vegetables and flowers. You will see many farm animals and shows as well. Tons of pigs, horses, goats and cows all for show. Children will enjoy the animal shows and you can pet almost all of them. There was even an exhibit where they had animatronic dinosaurs and mammoths. Parking is split into a few lots which can be quite a pain in the butt after driving through long traffic. I wish they could have organized that a bit better since we were a little annoyed. The traffic on the highway goes so far that I have heard of some people turning away due to the crowds. Be aware of this if you plan on coming. read more

Alaska State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Palmer, Alaska

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Seriously!?! No one has written a review about the State Fair yet? Oh geez, where to start... I love the Alaska State Fair! I haven't been able to visit the Fair for the past few years since I moved to WA. But I was finally able to make it back this year, and it's just as good as I remember it. Sure, its not as big as some of the fairs I've been to in WA, but I still love it. For me, the food is the main attraction. Here's my faves that I HAVE to get: Pork Chop on a Stick - super moist and delicious... mmmm... it makes my mouth water just thinking about it Baked Potato with melted cheese, bacon and broccoli (the Heart Attack baked potato is pretty good too) Elephant Ears - half cinnamon sugar & half cream cheese Dough Dots with melted chocolate - I tried this for the first time this year Here are some others that are good, but I don't usually get them every year: Funnel Cake Caramel Apples Cheese-steaks Roasted Corn on the Cob The Lumberjack show is always fun to watch. It consists of 3 lumberjacks facing off and competing in different events: chopping, sawing, climbing, log rolling, etc. So what if their dialogue and jokes are the same year after year... it still makes me laugh. Yo-Ho! Over the years, the livestock exhibit has shrunk to almost nothing. There are still cows, pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, bees, and alpacas... just not quite as many as there have been in the past. As with any other fair, there are plenty of booths with sales people that sell everything and the kitchen sink. I don't know what it is, maybe its because I went to the Fair every year while I grew up in Alaska, maybe it's the the giant vegetables, maybe it's lumberjack show, maybe its the weird sales people (that have machines with random flickering lights that look like they're from an old James Bond movie), or maybe it's all the delicious tasty food, but one thing I do know: it's good to be Alaska Grown. read more

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I love the fair! Love the livestock exhibits, flower exhibits and veggies - especially the giant veggies!! Always many many talented entries in the quilts, sewing, art, photography, cake decorating to name a few. The flowers on the grounds are always creative and beautiful. The bacon wrapped scallops are my favorite "fair dinner" and you have to have a hoop & hula cookie! The one with birch syrup is the absolute BEST! And if you've been around Palmer or Anchorage much you're bound to run into a few people you know. Oh, now I can't wait for the fair again! read more

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This fair had more retail vendors than it did food vendors. Highlights: the mini doughnuts and the soda jerk. Disappointments: the lobster fries (it seemed as if they ground up some lobster meat and sprinkled enough to say "see there's some right there". Plus it didn't have any salt on the fries. And they we're premade...you know how fries get when you try to keep them hot under a heat lamp! read more

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Camp in the RV/tent area, and spend the night, or take the train up from Anchorage. Half of Alaska's population shows up for this event, so it is crowded! Lots to see and do, and that's what I did. My fair food? - Pork chop on a stick. I had two of these. - Corn on the cob, two of these as well. Don't forget the condiments off to the side. - Half a Reuben with batter fried mushrooms. 11 bucks, not bad. - Red beans and rice. Southern comfort food. - Kettle corn. A staple at the fair. - Fried local fingerling potatoes. A must do. You get the drift. Gorge, enjoy, repeat as necessary. read more

this is a lovely place to have fun and enjoy yourself! A VARIETY of food, fun, kind people to guide you!! very fun exotic experience, i go every year! read more

Alaska really knows how to throw a great state fair party! !!! This was my second time attending the state fair in Alaska and neither time disappointed! There is an excellent variety of things to see and do! Where else can you go to a bird display, go deep inside the jungle to see reptiles, watch raves pigs, meet the Olympic rugby team and eat fast food crab cakes and salmon quesadillas?! The back drop is beautiful with snow covered mountains, blue skies and s glass of wine. .. oh wait, that was me toasting mother nature! !! My advice is go, go, GO!!!!!! read more

Very large area of shops and foods! Busy busy but enough room to walk. The rides had long lines. The food was decently priced and a lot of cute shops to look at. Decently clean for a fair. read more

My first State fair was Puyallup's in Seattle last year. For 2010, I tried out the Alaska State Fair, and was very impressed. The vendors had high quality ceramics, fabrics, jewelry, and rock gems. I liked that the food stands were spread out and not in one concentrated area; speaking of, they offered a wide range of fair food, including seafood chowder, reindeer hotdogs, bbq pulled pork, corn on the cob, funnel cakes, elephant ears, halibut kabobs, baked potatoes, chicken tenders, onion blossoms, and more..... I think Kenny Rodgers was the headliner performer for 2010, and spending an extra $65 to see him wouldn't be worth it for reserved seating. If they are going to charge for music acts at all, I don't think they should be more than $30. Also, very cute animals and large, healthy veggies. The scope of animals and crafts don't come close to Seattle's fair, but it's still fun. Alaska outshines on the quality and quantity of vendor booths. read more

This truly is an event for the entire family! From farm exhibits, daily performances, spectacular vendors and who could forget the phenomenal food!! Bring your walking shoes and enjoy a fantastic day at the Alaska State Fair read more

dont eat at red bird kitchen. Thai food made by white people, I should've known better. My curry tasted flavorless. I'm convinced they just put coconut milk and curry paste, that's it. Wasted money. read more

Watch your receipts. They charged my daughter 13.00 for her 2 year old son to get in the fair and then wouldn't refund her money.

Best fair I've ever been to. At least 20 acres of rides boots and performances. This was well worth the drive from Anchorage. So happy our trip coincided with the fair read more

Alaska State Fair - Festivals Near Me - Palmer, Alaska

The best thing for you to do as a family or someone who doesnt like crowds is to get to the fair early. For great deals on clothing, go on the last two days. Lots of date opportunities for sure. Check it out next year. read more

Love the Alaska state fair! It's absolutely my favorite time of the year. :) foods spectacular as usual. And the stone sour concert was awesome!! My boyfriend and I had a blast. read more

We had a lot of fun. The prices are reasonable & there is so much to do. The bathrooms are very clean, impressive. The food is great too. We tried the fried zucchini, delicious. Not to mention the favorites: cotton candy, kettle corn, & corn dogs. We saw the lumberjack show, very entertaining. We also saw the Loop Rawlins show, so funny! There are a lot of animals for the kids too. read more

I have been spoiled with my fair share of fairs.This fair has something for all ages and overall a good time was had by all. While i dont cate too much for the rides themselves, I was able to unleash my inner foodie!! There are lots of yummy food options out there but it is so crowded in this fair that I felt like I spent the whole time looking for the food and trying to beat the lines. The food that stood out were the mini crab cakes price d at $10 for 5 it was crunchy, warm, yumminess. I also had a chili dog from a stand whose name I can't recall and it was fantastic. I also had a Dr. Pepper float but I found that the Dr. Pepper was warm, thus taking away from that experience. This is an excellent place to go to, more so for food (although to me it is overpriced). Their vegetable exhibit was pretty impressive too. I just wish it was not so crowded. So many times I just wanted to push people out of my way. Definitely worth checking out! read more

We had a great time at the fair. We drove up from Anchorage for the day, which was quite easy, and enjoyed walking around for a couple of hours. Our favorite was probably the giant vegetable area. We were initially surprised that there weren't THAT many animals, but I guess we're more used to the larger livestock state fairs like Wisconsin and California. The food was maybe a slight step down from the truly great state fairs - we had some fried fish that had some weird undercooked breading - but the reindeer sausage was much enjoyed and the churros were completely fine. The crafts were better than I feel like I usually see at state fairs and the art exhibits featured plenty of bears. In short, I love state fairs, and this one was a fine specimen. Also, unlike many, the surrounding area visible from the fair was completely GORGEOUS so it's fun even to go for that! read more

Being from Texas and a Texas State Fair regular, we were interested to see what Alaska's fair is like. We were not disappointed. First off, the food is very different from the Texas fair, which features all things fried, including butter and beer, the Alaska fair's offering actually has a lot of variety, from seafood to gyros, to reindeer hot dogs. There is also plenty to see, from bonzai exhibits, flower competitions, agriculture produce competitions, livestock, to Chinese acrobats, lumberjack competitions, and beautiful plantings throughout the fair grounds. We had a great time and highly recommend it! read more