The 2012 Fair exhibitor guide is now available.

We’re making it easier than ever for people all over Alaska to enter an exhibit at the Fair. As in past years, you can drop off and pick up entries in Anchorage or at the fairgrounds. But did you know you can also mail your entry directly to us – and we’ll take care of the return as long as it’s a reasonable size and weight? See the exhibitor guide for all the important details about entering an exhibit.

We’re also coordinating with the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines to transport selected winning entries to the Alaska State Fair in Palmer for judging and display. It’s all part of our efforts to reach out and involve Alaskans across the state in the Alaska State Fair. Last year, 2,050 exhibitors entered 8,793 exhibits – we hope to see that number grow even larger this year!

So what can you enter? The 2012 exhibit categories include art, creative arts and crafts, canning, clay arts, fiber and fleece, handwork and needlework, honey and beekeeping, photography, sewing, woodworking, quilts, poultry and rabbits, baked goods, crops, flowers, spirited beverages, and open livestock.

Why should you enter? Well, in addition to sharing your talent with hundreds of thousands of fairgoers, you’ll have a chance to win prize ribbons and cash premiums. Last year, we gave out 6,000 ribbons and $24,562 in premiums!

Questions? Check out our online exhibitor guide or contact Pamella Meekin, Fair vendor and exhibits manager, at pamella@alaskastatefair.org.

Laurie Sica recently won a trip to the 2012 Alaska State Fair.

“I am very excited about this as I have never been to Palmer or the Alaska State Fair,” Laurie said. “And Janette Bower, the clerk in Palmer, and her deputy Shelly Acteson, are two of my favorite clerks (and people) in the state.”

The trip details are still being finalized, but we are looking forward to seeing Laurie at the Fair this year!

June Gerteisen joined the Fair marketing department in April.

“I am most looking forward to being a part of the team that brings tradition and fun to the community. I look forward to helping out in any way I can to provide creative solutions that adds to the visitor’s experience,” June said about her new role at the Fair.

Like most of us here at the Fair, June is a long-time fairgoer. A trip to the Fair for her usually includes an outdoor concert, seeing Hobo Jim at the Sluicebox, indulging in a hand-dipped ice cream bar, visiting the Oasis Beer Garden, and walking through the farm and art exhibits.

“My most favorite thing at the Fair is the atmosphere! It’s a combination of experiences shared with family that makes it special for me,” she said.

June is a self-described “California Girl” originally from the San Francisco Bay area. She moved to Alaska in 2003 with her husband Stephen, a life-long Alaskan.

“We enjoy the sense of community that Palmer offers their business owners and residents and are very happy to be here. Plus the mountains views here are breathtaking,” June shared.

June, who holds a bachelor’s in fine art and a master’s in art therapy, has a strong background in graphic and website design, working most recently as a graphic designer for the 673^d Force Support Squadron marketing and publicity department on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. She and her husband are also the owners of Arkose Brewery, which they founded in Palmer in October 2011.

The new lease agreement allows the team continued use of Hermon Brothers Field through April 30, 2025.

The new agreement, which we signed with the Miners in mid-February, allows the team continued use of Hermon Brothers Field at the cost of just $1 a year through April 30, 2025. At that time, the lease can be extended for an additional five years through April 30, 2030.

“Baseball was one of the first activities associated with the Fair. Having the Miners here ties us to the roots of the original Fair,” said Ray Ritari, our general manager. “The Miners have been here since 1976, and there is no intent of them leaving.”

“The Mat-Su Miners and the Fair are working together in the same direction,” said Denise Christopher, the Miners’ marketing and community relations director. “This agreement shows the longevity of our relationship. It shows that they’re not going anywhere and we’re not going anywhere.”

Denise added that the long-term lease will help the Miners obtain more grants to do additional events and co-promotions with the Fair.

“There are lots of fun things for fans to look forward to,” she said. “The Miners want to have more of a presence at the Fair, and we want the Fair to have more presence at the games.”

“It opens up opportunities for the future,” Ray added.

While the agreement calls for only a $1 a year in rent, Denise said the Miners look for ways to add value through in-kind contributions. For example, the Miners allow the Fair to use the team’s 15-passenger vans and the bleachers during the Fair. The team is also donating two ATCO trailers, which the Fair plans to use for storage.

“We help each other,” Christopher said. “It’s a give and take thing, and it works.”

Have some fun ideas for the Fair and the Miners? Share your thoughts on the Fair’s Facebook page! Want to stay in touch with the Fair? “Like” the Fair on Facebook and sign up to receive email and mobile updates!

We’re bringing the bands up for our AT&T Concert Series held at the fairgrounds during the 2012 Fair. We’re excited to present this additional concert in Fairbanks, where audiences can see two of our headliner acts together in the same show. It’s all part of our mission to reach out and involve Alaskans statewide.

Starting next Friday, April 20, tickets will be available at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000, Fred Meyer Ticketmaster outlets and the Carlson Center Box Office. Sorry, tickets for the Fairbanks concert will not be available on the Fair website or on the fairgrounds. Tickets are $75 for floor, $50 for mezzanine and $30 for balcony (convenience fees apply).

Recently reunited Creed is known for hits like “My Own Prison,” “Torn,” “What’s this Life For,” “One,” “Higher,” “With Arms Wide Open,” “My Sacrifice” and “One Last Breath.” The multi-platinum artists are looking toward a bright future with their latest album, Full Circle, and a busy U.S. tour schedule, including their stop in Alaska. The band also performs at the Fair on Thursday, August 23 as part of our AT&T Concert Series.

Theory of a Deadman, the platinum-selling Vancouver quartet, solidified their place at the top of modern hard rock by exceeding platinum sales with their breakthrough Scars & Souvenirs album in 2008 and with their #1 mainstream rock radio hit “Bad Girlfriend.” Theory’s most recent album, The Truth Is…, was released in July 2011. The rockers also perform at the Fair on Friday, August 24 as part of our AT&T Concert Series.

Listen to music samples and read more about the bands on our website – and then mark your calendar to get your tickets to the Fairbanks show next Friday, April 20!

What are your favorite songs by Creed and Theory of a Deadman? Share your thoughts on the Fair’s Facebook page! Want to stay in touch with the Fair? “Like” the Fair on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and sign up to receive email and mobile updates!

The 2012 Alaska State Fair season pass is now available for purchase!

The 2012 season pass is just $60 for adults, $40 for seniors and $30 for youth. That equals $5 a day for adults, a little over $3 a day for seniors, and just $2.50 a day for youth. Maybe the best part is that the adult and senior season passes include parking. You just can’t beat it!

With our season pass, you can come and go as often as you want. Pull right in, don’t worry about paying for parking, show your pass at the gate and stroll on in. Stay for an hour on your lunch break, bring the kids after school or come for the entire day – the choice is completely yours.

The season pass is available now on our website. We’ll pop it in the mail and you’ll receive it well in advance of the 2012 Fair, which runs August 23 – September 3 this year. But don’t wait too long – this season pass offer is only good through July 31.

What would you do if you could come to the Fair as much as you wanted? Share your thoughts on the Fair’s Facebook page! Want to stay in touch with the Fair? “Like” the Fair on Facebook and sign up to receive email and mobile updates!

Tickets are on sale NOW for the 2012 AT&T Concert Series.

Check out the list and figure out who you want to see – tickets go on sale to the general public TODAY, Friday, March 23! And keep an eye on our blog, Facebook page and website the final four concert announcements.

Thursday, August 23: Creed. The rockers behind hits like “My Own Prison,” “Torn,” “What’s this Life For,” “One,” “Higher,” “With Arms Wide Open,” “My Sacrifice” and “One Last Breath” are reunited and looking toward a bright future. Buy tickets now!

Friday, August 24: Theory of a Deadman. This platinum-selling Vancouver quartet tells hard-rocking stories of good times, bad times and everything in between through songs like their #1 hit “Bad Girlfriend” and crowd favorites like “So Happy,” “Not Meant to Be” and “By the Way.” Buy tickets now!

Sunday, August 26: Styx. “Come Sail Away” with these “Renegade” rockers, known for big hit singles and classic rock radio standards like “Lady,” “Blue Collar Man,” “Fooling Yourself” and “Too Much Time on My Hands.” Buy tickets now!

Tuesday, August 28: Jo Dee Messina. Hits like “Bye Bye,” “I’m Alright,” “Stand Beside Me,” “Lesson in Leavin,’” “Bring on the Rain” and “My Give a Damn’s Busted” cemented this singer-songwriter’s reputation as one of country’s most loved hit-makers. Buy tickets now!

Wednesday, August 29: The Avett Brothers. With songs like “Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise” and “I and Love and You,” this trio delivers a “rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop – even a jab of punk-style dynamics.” Buy tickets now!

Thursday, August 30: Jeff Dunham. Entertainer Jeff Dunham and his entourage of signature characters have created a unique blend of stand-up comedy and ventriloquism that has Time Magazine calling him “the most popular comedian in the United States.” Buy tickets now!

Saturday, September 1: George Thorogood & the Destroyers, sponsored by Pabst. This “Bad to the Bone” blues/rock guitarist will have audiences singing “Who Do You Love” and ordering up “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.” Buy tickets now!

Monday, September 3: Hot Chelle Rae. This young, Nashville-based pop quartet is all about “feel-good, windows-down tunes” like their chart-topper “Tonight Tonight” and brand new single “I Like it Like That.” Buy tickets now!

Want more info on this year’s performers? Check out our website for in-depth information, including ticket prices, bios, photos and music samples. And keep an eye out for news on the final four concerts – we’ll be announcing them soon!

Tickets are on sale NOW and there are three easy ways to buy:

• Online at alaskastatefair.org and facebook.com/alaskastatefair and print at home
• The free iPhone app from ETIX* (download at the app store!)
• The Borealis Box Office during the Fair (did we mention there are no fees when you purchase at the box office during the Fair?)

* Only “best available” seats available through the ETIX app.

A friendly reminder that Fair admission is additional. Be sure to advantage of our money-saving offers, such as the Fair season pass, which includes admission every single day of the Fair as well as parking! The 2012 season pass is just $60 for adults, $40 for seniors and $30 for youth. You can get yours starting today on our website. Don’t wait too long – this season pass offer is only good through July 31!

Which concert – or concerts – will you be going to? Share your thoughts on the Fair’s Facebook page! Want to stay in touch with the Fair? “Like” the Fair on Facebook and sign up to receive email and mobile updates!

Incorporating Alaska Native song and dance is just one way we are striving to be "Alaska's Fair" and involve people and cultures from across our great state in the Fair.

• Tuesday, March 6, Ketchikan Rotary Club, noon, Cape Fox Lodge
• Wednesday, March 7, Sitka Chamber of Commerce, noon, Westmark Sitka

Why are we taking the Fair on the road? It’s simple – we want to know how we can become your Fair. Our biggest aspiration is to be “Alaska’s Fair” – not just a fair for the Mat-Su Valley or Southcentral Alaska, but the Fair for everyone in our great state. What things are important to you? What would you like to see at the Fair? We’re listening, so come on out and tell us what’s on your mind.

The visits also give us the opportunity to showcase what the Fair is all about. You already know we have world record-breaking vegetables, prize-winning livestock, tempting Fair food, and thrilling carnival rides. But did you know you can also experience performances from some of the world’s best entertainers in our AT&T Concert Series? And come face to face with diverse cultures, exotic animals and more through our world-class educational exhibits in the Events Center?

We hope you can join us next week for:

• Sneak peek of 2012 Fair. Wondering who we have lined up for the 2012 AT&T Concert Series? Want to be among the first to know the award-winning exhibit that will be featured in the Events Center this year? Come find out what we have planned and let us know what you think!
• Preview our brand new short video. It provides a brief glimpse of everything special about the 2011 Fair, which marked our 75^th birthday. A farmer shows off his 859-pound pumpkin. Alaska Native artisans work on their pieces while sharing why they create: to keep their culture and traditions strong and to share that with others. Kids’ eyes light up as they visit the petting zoo or watch the Kenai Racing Pigs. Chef Rob Kinneen talks about how he celebrates indigenous Alaska by cooking traditional foods in contemporary ways. The King Island Dancers perform traditional song and dance, and the Shanghai Acrobats delight and amaze with their daring feats – and that’s just the beginning!
• We want your exhibits! Every year, we get thousands of exhibits from talented folks in Southcentral Alaska. Our goal is to expand that to include exhibits from across the state. Our own Pamella Meekin, vendor and exhibits manager, will share the who, what, where, why and how you can be involved as an exhibitor at the 2012 Fair.
• Q&A session. What do you want to know about the Fair? What do you want us to know? This is your chance ask questions, share ideas and get answers.

If you miss us in Ketchikan and Sitka next week, we are also planning presentations in Juneau, Fairbanks and on the Kenai Peninsula this spring and summer. Be sure to watch our blog and Facebook page for details.

Have an idea for the Fair? Want us to come to your town? Share your thoughts on the Fair’s Facebook page! Want to stay in touch with the Fair? “Like” the Fair on Facebook and sign up to receive email and mobile updates!

The Alaska State Fair board of directors. Back row, left to right: Danny Consenstein, Richard Stryken**, John Tracy, Stephen Brown*. Front row, left to right: Carol Kenley, John Harkey**, Kristy Bernier*. * New member, ** Re-elected

About 150 people, mostly Fair members as well as some interested supporters, attended the meeting. We held an election to fill four open seats on the Fair board of directors, and we’re pleased to report that Stephen Brown, Kristy Bernier, John Harkey and Richard Stryken were elected to the board.

Brown was elected to the one-year board seat, Bernier took the two-year board seat, and Harkey and Stryken were re-elected for full, three-year terms.

Members also voted on changes to the articles and bylaws that would allow mail-in and electronic voting. Such changes must be approved by two-thirds of the membership present, and the bylaw vote failed by a narrow margin.

During our food vendor showcase, meeting attendees sampled tasty bites from potential 2012 food vendors and then voted on their favorite. The vendor with the most votes was offered a booth at the 2012 Fair. We’re excited to announce the winner is The Reuben Haus – be sure to check them out at this year’s Fair!

We also announced the performers confirmed to date for our 2012 AT&T Concert Series, and Fair members had the opportunity to reserve tickets in advance. Mark your calendars – tickets go on sale to the general public March 23! Watch our blog, website and Facebook page for forthcoming details.

Finally, meeting attendees got a sneak peek of the video we are putting together with the help of Alaska Channel. Using footage and interviews from the 2011 Fair, the film explores how we are striving to truly be “Alaska’s Fair” by encouraging participation by all Alaskans. Check it out for yourself by viewing this short clip.

Did you attend the annual meeting? Have reviews on the food vendors? Feedback on the concert series? Thoughts on the video clip? Share your thoughts on the Fair’s Facebook page! Want to stay in touch with the Fair? “Like” the Fair on Facebook and sign up to receive email and mobile updates!

We’ve invited a select group of potential 2012 food vendors to the annual meeting, where they will be offering tasty samples.

All current Fair members, as well as the general public, are encouraged to attend the meeting. However, please note that only 2011 Fair members who signed up by December 15, 2011 are eligible to vote.

There are lots of fun reasons to attend the upcoming annual meeting:

First dibs on concert tickets. We will be announcing the confirmed entertainers to date for the 2012 AT&T Concert Series – and 2012 Fair members will have the opportunity to reserve tickets right there at the meeting! That’s an entire month before tickets go on sale to the general public on March 9. Not a Fair member? Not a problem – you can sign up as a member at the meeting. Learn about all the benefits of membership on our website.

Food vendor showcase. We’ve invited a select group of potential 2012 food vendors to the annual meeting, where they will be offering tasty samples. Meeting attendees can vote on their favorite and the winning vendor will be offered a booth space at the 2012 Fair! The participating potential vendors and the types of food they make include:

• Alaska Berry Pops and Salmon Sticks – the name says it all!
• Alaska Stuft Bananas – selection of banana treats
• Caribbean Taste – Caribbean cuisine
• Center of Russian American Friendship and Trade – Russian dishes
• Pioneer Peak Popovers – desserts made with Alaska Grown produce
• The Reuben Haus – known for their Reuben sandwiches
• The Soda Jerk – made-to-order specialty fountain drinks
• Wicked Goods – variety of crepes

Fair film premiere. This winter we’ve been hard at work with the folks at Alaska Channel putting together a short film using footage and interviews from the 2011 Fair. The film explores how we are striving to truly be “Alaska’s Fair” by encouraging participation by all Alaskans, and the importance of bringing together and sharing the many different people, cultures and talents of our great state.  We’re excited to premiere a short clip of the film at the annual meeting!

Board election. The main order of business at the annual meeting will be the election of four members to the Fair board of directors. A total of 10 candidates, including two incumbents, applied to serve on the Fair board. Learn more about each of the candidates by visiting our website. Fair members will also vote on changes to the articles and bylaws that will allow mail-in and electronic voting. Remember – only 2011 Fair members who signed up by December 15, 2011 are eligible to vote.

Mark your calendar for February 9 and we’ll see you at the annual meeting! Questions or comments? Share your thoughts on the Fair’s Facebook page! Want to stay in touch with the Fair? “Like” the Fair on Facebook and sign up to receive email and mobile updates!