by Anna Zacovic
Yeehaw! Kitsap County Fair and Stampede returned Aug. 21-25 with animal races, carnival rides, and much more. The fair was first held in 1923 in Port Orchard and has since moved to the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Starting out as a small fair with only 1,000 exhibitors, that number has grown over the years to more than 6,000! Named “Rodeo of the Year” six years in a row, the Kitsap County Fair was fun for everyone.
The fair had a wide variety of events for the entire family. On Thursday night the Thunderbird Rodeo Arena was home to the destruction derby, and Thursday through Saturday the PRCA Rodeo. This year, due to costs, the fair had a “Dance in the Dirt” night where fair-goers were able to fill the ground floor of the arena and enjoy live music preformed by Hell's Belles, an AC/DC tribute band from Seattle. The money saved was used for different entertainment groups, including the Wenatchee Youth Circus, an acrobatic group with more than 50 children performing stunts.
The Center Stage held shows throughout the day including a comedy stunt show, a sing along, and a hypnosis show. “Getting hypnotized is like being in a daze, until someone yells at the boy behind you on the plane and tells them to shut up,” said student Chantelle Lamb after being hypnotized to dance and pretend she was on a plane. In addition to shows, the Center Stage held contests such as pie-eating and hotdog-eating. In the Exhibition Hall, the fair showcased crops and photography, as well as crafts made by students. The fair also had a carnival with rides and games. “My favorite ride was the Yoyo,” said Jojo Curtin, an Olympic High School student who spent the day at the fair with her friends.
The 4-H clubs featured their animals, including poultry, cats, horses, and llamas, while the members stood nearby to answer questions. 4-H is a volunteer/community project in which students can participate. Members showing cats decorate their cage based on a given theme. Emily Symington, who had been showing her cats for 10 years, said, “I do it because it has always been a life long passion of mine and was first inspired by [my sister] MaryEmma. My favorite part of showing cats is the adrenaline I get from showing and getting high point awards and also knowing that I have all kinds of knowledge about the cats that I could possibly use in the future.”
This year the fair’s attendance was approximately 80,000 people over five days, about 6,000 more than the year before. Whether it was due to the deep-fried Snickers or the bullfighters, the people of Kitsap County seemed to be in a festive spirit more than ever this year.
The fair had a wide variety of events for the entire family. On Thursday night the Thunderbird Rodeo Arena was home to the destruction derby, and Thursday through Saturday the PRCA Rodeo. This year, due to costs, the fair had a “Dance in the Dirt” night where fair-goers were able to fill the ground floor of the arena and enjoy live music preformed by Hell's Belles, an AC/DC tribute band from Seattle. The money saved was used for different entertainment groups, including the Wenatchee Youth Circus, an acrobatic group with more than 50 children performing stunts.
The Center Stage held shows throughout the day including a comedy stunt show, a sing along, and a hypnosis show. “Getting hypnotized is like being in a daze, until someone yells at the boy behind you on the plane and tells them to shut up,” said student Chantelle Lamb after being hypnotized to dance and pretend she was on a plane. In addition to shows, the Center Stage held contests such as pie-eating and hotdog-eating. In the Exhibition Hall, the fair showcased crops and photography, as well as crafts made by students. The fair also had a carnival with rides and games. “My favorite ride was the Yoyo,” said Jojo Curtin, an Olympic High School student who spent the day at the fair with her friends.
The 4-H clubs featured their animals, including poultry, cats, horses, and llamas, while the members stood nearby to answer questions. 4-H is a volunteer/community project in which students can participate. Members showing cats decorate their cage based on a given theme. Emily Symington, who had been showing her cats for 10 years, said, “I do it because it has always been a life long passion of mine and was first inspired by [my sister] MaryEmma. My favorite part of showing cats is the adrenaline I get from showing and getting high point awards and also knowing that I have all kinds of knowledge about the cats that I could possibly use in the future.”
This year the fair’s attendance was approximately 80,000 people over five days, about 6,000 more than the year before. Whether it was due to the deep-fried Snickers or the bullfighters, the people of Kitsap County seemed to be in a festive spirit more than ever this year.