Alaska State Fair
alaska state fair annual state fair held palmer alaska united state fairground located approximately one hour north anchorage draw visitor entire municipality anchorage beyond popular ½week event beginning end august fair famous record setting giant vegetable picturesque location foot chugach mountain matanuskasusitna valley event feature amusement ride food concession competitive exhibit carnival game live performance first alaska state fair held september – organized member northland pioneer grange agricultural fraternal organization organized matanuska valley planning fair began coincided establishment matanuska colony new deal resettlement community designed assist work midwestern family establishing colony matanuskasusitna valley u government intent decrease alaska reliance imported food increase territory population give midwestern family public assistance new start first year fair held community center newly established matanuska colony included crowning fair queen baby show boxing match horse race dance rodeo baseball game also agricultural entry including giant cabbage grain carrot onion celery pea vegetable world war ii fair took fiveyear hiatus fair back operation saw first carnival ride fair fair board petitioned alaska legislature official designation alaska state fair fair celebrated th anniversary paid visit president john f kennedy fair first year present acre location glenn highway palmer total attendance year reached year fair attendance continued upward trend day fair record people participated event year fair accepted exhibit entry – highest record fair set another record visitor attending fair day period fairground facility also continued grow fair became home colony village preserve historic building valley early day construction pioneer plaza raven hall completed fair opened new green gate railroad depot estimated total people attended fair featured exhibit entry vendor also valley resident protester sidney hill arrested fourthdegree assault disorderly conduct trespassing caused disturbance fairground carrying large political sign incident addressed fair blog subsequent article regarding mr hill activity published anchorage daily news frontiersman state fair due coronavirus pandemic taken internal alaska state fair financials situated heart fertile matanuskasusitna valley fair feature giant vegetable exhibit like pending world recordbreaking foot inch cm gourd vine state recordbreaking inch cm bean inch cm gourd pound kg pumpkin fair giant cabbage contest tradition began prize offered largest cabbage max sherrod valley took prize pounder kg official giant cabbage weighoff established grower scott robb entered pound kg cabbage took first place also set new world record fair horticultural farming side received national attention maker public broadcasting service pb program gardensmart visited fair film minute segment topping list fairgoer favorite pastime fair’s food usually food vendor scheduled attend fair offering usual american staple like hot dog pizza burger nacho plus ‘exotic’ selection including gyro alaskan seafood kind food served fried stick also many dessert including ice cream cream puff retail nonfood stall vendor also present fair year fair also feature thousand exhibition competition category include artwork baking canning ceramic dance fiberfleece flower gardening display handiworkneedlework homebrewing technique home improvement display honey bee product livestock judging music various genre pet agility course petting zoo photography poultry judging quiltingsewing rabbit showing locallycrafted spirited beveragessoda pop woodworking fair also feature free entertainment around ground event contest rodeo “diaper derby” alaska grown game fair also feature large midway carnival ride game present big name concert year part att borealis concert series att concert series big draw fair played host dozen band performer last year previous performer included ted nugent david archuleta lonestar hinder shinedown boyz ii men darryl worley collective soul seether bucky covington beach boy bill engvall rodney atkins kansa gin blossom rembrandt emerson drive charlie daniel band craig morgan terri clark cheap trick terry fator uncle kracker los lobos toby mac tanya tucker tracy byrd carman kenny rogers howie mandel chris cagle chris ledoux reo speedwagon sean kingston tracy lawrence three day grace jim gaffigan iggy azalea richie haven micky dolenz matanuska valley colony raymond rebarchek colony farm adjoining property fair owned portion since late th century tanana valley state fair official website