Clallam County Fair
Where: 1608 W. 16th St., Port Angeles
When: Aug. 18-21
Tickets: adults: $8, seniors: $6, students 13-17: $6, children: 6-12 $5, children 5 and under free; Children 12 and under free on Thursday, Aug. 18
Carnival bracelets available for $30 through Aug. 17 online at clallam.net/FAIR or at Skunkworks Auto Detailing in Sequim, Wilder Auto Center, Higher Grounds East and West, Just Rewards Espresso, Strait View Credit Union and Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles, Forks Outfitter in Forks and Weel Road Deli in Clallam Bay
Gates open: 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday
Buildings open at 10 a.m., Carnival at noon
Events
• Demolition derby, 5 p.m. Sunday, Tickets $12, on sale at yellow gate starting at 9 a.m. Sunday
• Fair royalty meet-and-greet, 6 p.m. Thursday
• Heart by Heart, 7:30 p.m. Friday
• Logging Show, noon Saturday
• Rodeo, 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon Sunday
• Spike and the Impalers, 7 p.m., Saturday
• Sixth annual Variety and Talent show, 2 p.m. Sunday
• 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Auction, 1 p.m. Saturday
• Hypnotist Kevin Wolfe Thursday-Saturday
• Mutton Bustin’ all four days
A jam-packed summer of events continues this week as one of the peninsula’s biggest events, the Clallam County Fair, kicks off Aug. 18-21.
Traditions locals love return like live music, animals and exhibits along with staples of the rodeo, demolition derby and much more.
Fair manager Shari Ioffrida, who enters her 11th year, said she anticipates the rodeo, running Saturday and Sunday, being one of the biggest in the fair’s history.
“Word is out that there is a considerable amount of prize money from a generous sponsor who wishes to be anonymous,” she said.
“I’ve looked at other rodeos in the state and we’re definitely up there (in rewards) so we’re hoping the talent comes out specifically for the bull riding.”
This year, Ioffrida said they’re also bringing out some new and familiar acts such as hypnotist Kevin Wolfe from Thursday-Saturday.
Ioffrida said Wolfe is the first hypnotist to come in nearly a decade to the fair after a big demand.
Those seeking out good tunes won’t have to go far either as music runs throughout the fair ranging from country to folk to big rock acts such as Heart by Heart on Friday night and Spike and the Impalers on Saturday night.
Nights of the Realm, a medieval reenactment show, returns to the grandstands after six years away for two shows each on Thursday and Friday.
Ioffrida said the Talent and Variety Show, going into its sixth year, remains a big hit on Sundays.
“The only change we’ve made since it started was adding the talent show and our Sunday attendance has gone up every year,” she said.
This year it features 14 musicians, which all applied through a vetting process. Ioffrida says they keep the “variety” aspect of the show to encourage other types of talent to participate in upcoming years, such as dancers and jugglers, who have participated before.
Attendance for the fair in the past five years reached its peak in 2014 at 28,767 attendees and lowest at 27,159 in 2012.
For the children, mutton busting returns for the second year to the Kids Zone where children can ride sheep similarly to their rodeo heroes.
The carnival’s all-you-can-ride bracelets can be purchased through Wednesday night at the fair’s website or multiple businesses throughout the county including Skunkworks Auto Detailing in Sequim.
Cost is $30 and children can choose which day to use the bracelets.
Ioffrida said 28 food vendors are signed up, too.
From the farm to the fair
The fair also is a place of business and professionalism for many 4-H and FFA participants. Seventeen-year-old Bayleigh Carpenter of Sequim has sold animals through the Junior Livestock Auction since third grade. She and her co-club members have spent the past year nurturing animals, like her steer named Lamborghini, for this one week.
At 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, they’ll auction their animals through the 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Auction in the Sheep/Swine Arena. Club members’ goals are to sell their animals to pay for next year’s projects, likely more animals, and possibly tuck some savings away for college.
“It’s a community-driven auction,” she said. “If we didn’t have buyers, we wouldn’t do what we do.”
Her hope is that more buyers will come out to diversify the support and keep it going long-term.
Carpenter has one year left in 4-H but she sees this year as a way to pay it forward.
“(Growing up) I have mini heifers who are super stubborn and I was so little that moms and friends would have to help me but now that I’m 17, I can help others in the club at fair,” she said.
Club members will spend the week talking about their animals in the barns and special events.
For more information on the fair, see the Sequim Gazette’s special section or see clallam.net/fair.
