PORT TOWNSEND — The dino-tastic-themed 87th annual Jefferson County fair opens today and runs through Sunday at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4907 Landes St.
“We have a lot of animals on display, we have a wide range of entertainment, we’ve got some old returning, we’ve got some new,” fair director Kristi Pimentel said. “So far that I’ve seen, most of our exhibit entry levels are up from the last couple of years.”
Fair hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Gates open for ticket purchase at 8 a.m. each morning.
Daily gate admission prices for children (4 and younger) are free, kids (5-12) are $3, students (13-17) are $7, adults (18-64) are $10 and seniors (65+) are $7. A military discount of $1 will be offered to active military and family with current IDs. Full weekend passes cost $25 and include the otherwise $10 beef barbecue — a $40 value — held from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
“We have an additional stage this year,” Pimentel said. “We’re calling it the wood stage. It’s from the production alliance, an in-kind sponsorship. We’re able to have some groups that are not able to perform on concrete, including the Port Townsend Ballet.”
Pimentel, previously a board member for the fair, transitioned into fair director in April 2023. She grew up in the area, participated in 4-H in her youth and left the area sometime following high school.
Upon returning, she sought to see what she could do to help the organization. She soon started with entering fair entry data, then took charge of the fair entries, then joined the board.
There are about 65 vendors, Pimentel said, including craft, commercial and food.
“We’ve got Viking Ice Cream coming back. We have Hawaiian shaved ice, cheesecake, specialty lemonades, espresso, lots of different things,” Pimentel said. “We have Egg Roll Hut, Huli Huli BBQ, Fast and Fresh does Korean corn dogs, and some other things along those lines. We have kettle corn. We’ve got a pretty big variety.”
Musicians from a number of genres, including classic rock, big band, jazz, folk, songwriter, horn ensemble and taiko drums will play on several stages throughout the weekend.
Included in the musician lineup are Abby Roth and Taylor Montgomery. They both were winners of the Kiwanis Club’s talent competition “stars of tomorrow.” The prize was a performance slot at the fair.
Roth placed second this year and Montgomery placed first last year.
“She [Montgomery] performed for us last year and she was phenomenal,” Pimentel said. “She probably had the biggest crowd all weekend.”
Magician, illusionist and entertainer Professor Bamboozle has been coming to county fair on and off for years, Pimentel said. He will give performances all weekend.
Karen Quest will do cowgirl tricks and stilt characters all weekend as well.
The fair also will host Port Townsend Ballet on the new wood stage.
Attendees can see 4-H-raised animals all weekend long throughout the grounds. In the poultry shed will be chickens, baby chicks and ducks. There will be varieties of dairy and beef cows, including longhorns in the cattle barn. Several of the cows will be present with calves, including a 1-week-old longhorn calf.
There will be a goat tent, sheep, llama, alpaca and pig areas. There also will be a horse barn, and next to the yesteryear museum, there is a cat building.
In addition to being around for viewing all weekend, a number of events are planned in the various animal areas.
There is a fine arts and photography display in the arts building, where weaving demonstrations will be held all weekend.
There also will be draft horse pulls and various horse shows in the horse arena. At the main stage on Sunday, 4×4 mud-pit races will take place.
Children will be able to enter to ride a mechanical bull multiple times a day, all weekend. Further events for children include a watermelon eat-off, a cupcake decorating activity, a duct-tape crafts activity and a Lego building contest.
“We’re really excited to be dino-tastic and hope everyone will come and enjoy,” Pimentel said. “We are looking at being bigger and better.”
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
