This year’s Thurston County Fair was “a great success,” Fair and Event Center Manager Thomasina Cooper reported to the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) on Wednesday, September 4.
The fair recorded an attendance of 19,000 people, with 1,215 of them coming from more than 50 miles away. Wednesday and Saturday saw the biggest crowds, with over 4,500 each day.
“Our fair, and fairs as a whole, are considered the world’s largest classroom because there's so much experiential learning,” remarked Cooper.
There were 3,038 total exhibits (an 11% increase from 2023), ranging from plants and collections to photos and more. The fair included 2,048 still life exhibits (a 49% increase from 2023) and 1,780 animal entries (a 3% decrease), as well as “a record number of cuddly sheep,” Cooper noted.
This year’s record-high pancake breakfast with the commissioners served up 712 pancakes to the residents. Cooper’s report showed that the organizers had to add more tables due to demand.
“One-buck Wednesday” volunteers and donors contributed 5,229 pounds of food and $806 to Thurston County Food Bank.
The Thurston County Youth Market Animal Sale earned $215,000 in auction. Turkeys and onsite mobile poultry processing were some of the new additions this year.
Cooper said that the Thurston County Fair doubled up on their social media presence this year, as it had competing events such as the Grays Harbor Fair and Seattle’s Seafair. In fact, the Thurston County Fair increased its social media presence by 1,400%.
The Fair Management Team is considering hosting a Fair Board retreat to explore growth strategies and apply for grants such as the Lacey Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC), Thurston LTAC, and Thurston Heritage Grant.
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