September 7, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First look at the 2018 Fair
“Good year” for the Fair, initial numbers show
Palmer, Alaska – Bolstered by lots of sunny days and a strong second weekend, it appears that it was a good year for the Alaska State Fair. The 2018 Fair took place August 23 – September 3 at the fairgrounds in Palmer.
Most notably, ticket sales for the Fair’s AT&T Concert Series were up 46.4 percent, with a total of 28,515 tickets sold in 2018. Concerts featuring breakthrough country star Luke Combs and acclaimed violinist Lindsey Stirling were sold out.
Fair attendance also appears up in most areas. Although final numbers are still being calculated, those confirmed so far indicate a 2.5 percent increase over last year.
There were several other positive indicators of a good year at the Fair, including:
- Sold-out shows for the Demolition Derby and all three All-Star Monster Trucks shows at the Grandstand
- 23 new state records set in crops exhibit entries, including a 26-inch cucumber and a 1,471.5-pound pumpkin; see the full list on the Fair website
- $224,000 raised at the 4-H Junior Market Livestock Auction, up almost $10,000 from last year in a continuing upward trend
A special membership meeting was held during the board reception on opening day of the Fair, where Fair members voted to change the annual membership meeting date from the second Thursday in February to the third Wednesday in May.
Watch the Fair website and social media channels for additional details on the 2018 Fair. For more information, please visit alaskastatefair.org or contact Dean Phipps, Fair director of marketing and communications, at [email protected] or 907.746.7153.
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