PORT TOWNSEND — The 82nd annual Jefferson County Fair begins Friday and will play host to a variety of vendors and competitions for all ages.
The gates open at 8 a.m. for ticket sales. Buildings open and the fair begins at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at 4907 Landes St., at 10 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
Ticket prices are $8 for adults 18 to 64; $6 for seniors 65 and older and students form 13 to 17; and $2 for children 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger will be admitted free. All active duty service members and their families will, with valid I.D., receive a $1 military discount. Payments can be made only by cash or check; an ATM will be located near the fair office.
Pre-sale tickets also are available until 10 p.m. Thursday. They can be purchased in Port Townsend at Jefferson County Fair Office, Penny Saver, QFC and Safeway. In the Tri-Area, they can be bought at the Hadlock Building Supply and QFC.
Single day pre-sale tickets are $5. They are available only at the Jefferson County Fair Office.
The fair also offers three-day “Season Tickets” which include the admission for the annual beef barbecue on Sunday, for $17 at the gate or $15 if bought in advance.
Each day of the fair will see different competitions for 4-H members and other members of the community, involving livestock, horseback riding and lawnmowers.
There are two barbecues this year. On Saturday, a salmon barbecue is planned from noon to 3 p.m. It costs $10. The beef barbecue on Sunday, set from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., is $8 per person.
Outside of the main entree, both barbecues will have baked beans, macaroni salad and rolls/french bread as sides.
One of the main events, the Lawnmower Demolition Derby, is set to happen at 7 p.m. Saturday at the main stage.
The annual Mud Drags are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday.
Fair Manager Sue McIntire has been involved with the Jefferson County Fair for her “entire life,” she said.
When she was a child, she was the sibling of a 4-H member, then she was a 4-H member, followed by being an adult volunteer, the fair’s treasurer, up to finally being the fair manager, which she has been for the past 19 months — since her husband Bill died in 2017. Before then she had co-managed the fair with Bill McIntire beginning in 2001.
The fair has a lot of pieces to put together, but children enjoying the fair is important to McIntire.
“Watching the kids see the animals and how excited kids get when they enter things for the first time and when they see the ribbons they won,” McIntire said.
“That’s when I tell myself its all worth it, when you see a little kid get their first ribbon.”
Among the children’s activities is a coloring contest, where parents can print the picture from the fairgrounds’s website and have the kids color it in and submit it for a prize. Entries are due today between noon and 8 p.m. at the Erickson building.
A variety of entertainment is planned, from the Unexpected Brass Band leading the Everybody’s Welcome Parade on Saturday, the “Funaddicts” having two separate performances Saturday and Don Riggs hosting a “Reptile Isle” which will have hour-long shows with Riggs teaching the public about the different reptiles in his care.
KPTZ will host a live show, their “Tossed Salad” show produced and hosted by Phil Andrus, Friday from noon to 5 p.m. at the small stage. “Tossed Salad” normally features live music, interviews and dramatic presentations from the local community.
Those interested in walking in the “Everybody’s Welcome Parade” can meet up with the Unexpected Brass Band at 11 a.m. Saturday at the small stage. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. and, as the name implies, anyone who wants to participate in the parade is more than welcome and encouraged to, McIntire said.
The fair closes at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 6 p.m. Sunday.
For information about specific entertainment guests, competitions and a complete schedule, go to www.jeffcofairgrounds.com/general-info.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5 or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
