Entertainment changes planned for this year’s Central Washington State Fair in Yakima | Explore Yakima

The Central Washington State Fair surveyed fairgoers after last year’s Yakima fair and heard a lot.

Fair officials said they are listening and, in response, have made changes to this year’s fair.

Attendees will see some significant changes to programming and entertainment programming this year. The most notable change is free entry into the Toyota Concert Series with fair admission. The concert schedule is reduced to weekend performances rather than a nightly show.

And the opening hours during the week will be different, with the gates opening at 2pm, from Monday to Thursday.

This year’s fair theme, “Harvest the Fun,” highlights apples, one of the Yakima Valley’s biggest commodities. The fair, which runs from September 20 to 29, takes place during apple harvest season and the fair’s agricultural exhibit will feature the history of the Valley’s apple industry, the varieties grown here and how the world is fed by Valley apples Yakima.

Entertainment changes

This year’s Toyota Concert series will feature tribute bands on both weekends of the fair and the shows are free with fair admission and open to all ages.

“Over the past two years, we have heard from the community telling us that they wanted more free entertainment at the fair, combined with the rising costs of touring and producing artists, as well as the limited availability of artists to the market,” said the fair’s CEO, Kathy Kramer, in a press release.

The 2024 Toyota Concert Series will feature Queen Nation on Friday, September 20; Dirt Road: Jason Aldean Experience and American Soldier: A Tribute to Toby Keith on Saturday, September 21; Red Corvette: The Ultimate Prince Tribute Act on Sunday, September 22; Noise Pollution (tribute to AC/DC) on Friday, September 27th; Keith as Kenny – A Kenny Chesney Experience and Tribute to Eric Church on Saturday, September 28; and Papa Doo Run Run (tribute to the Beach Boys) on Sunday, September 29th.

“These are some of the best tribute bands in the country,” Kramer said. “Once the community knows the new layout of the area and how it will work, you will be able to move around and hang out with your friends”, creating a more festive environment.

Entertainment on Toyota’s main stage begins at 5pm with an opening band and the main performance at 7pm. The opening bands will be Huckleberry Road on September 20th and 22nd and Copper Mountain Band on September 27th and 29th.

Toyota’s main stage will also be in a different location on the grassy area south of the Modern Living building, with a family section and the Corona Corral and Bar, aimed at those 21 and over. There will also be VIP ticket packages available for $35 and will include fair admission, covered seating and private restrooms.

Small business

The fair will continue to support local small businesses with the third year of the Home Town Market Place at the SunDome. The market is an opportunity for small local businesses to sell their products or services for fewer days and at a discount, making the fair more accessible for them.

The Home Town Market Place will be expanding this year and has been an exciting program, Kramer said.

“The idea is to use this as a mechanism to get small businesses into the fair crowd and help them get out of this,” Kramer said.

Supplier space is still available for companies that manufacture their own products. Learn more about Home Town Market Place by calling the State Fair Park office at 509-248-7160.

Change to hours

This year’s fair will see some other changes and new features.

This year’s fair hours will be different. Gates will open at 2pm Monday to Thursday and noon Friday to Sunday.

The 2pm start time reflects contributions from suppliers, fair partners and fair goers.

“When the fair comes around, school is back in session, people are working,” Kramer said in an interview. “We started analyzing our numbers from recent years and we are really seeing people arriving in the late afternoon. The people selling things at the SunDome and our food concessions were like, ‘Hey, we’re not selling much right now.'”

Traffic is much lower on weekdays from noon to 2 p.m., food vendors and concessionaires said in wide-ranging conversations with fair board members.

More activities

Fun Ville is a new family-friendly outdoor area located at the south end of State Fair Park and will be anchored by the popular All Alaskan Pig Races, as well as a live butterfly exhibit, petting zoo, pony rides and a variety of outdoor games and activities. open air. .

“This area will really focus on families,” Kramer said. “We’ll have tables and chairs in that area where they can go and do all these things and we’ll even have an area to rest.”

Every child who visits Fun Ville will receive a free apple.

There will also be VIP parking located in the south parking lot on the corner of Nob Hill Boulevard and S. Fair Avenue. VIP parking will cost $20 per day on a first-come, first-served basis.

Events at the Coca-Cola Grandstand will require a separate ticket and will include fair entry.

Rough Stock Round-up from Aces Wild Pro Rodeo Productions on Saturday, September 21st, with shows at 2pm and 6pm. Both performances will include bareback riding, ranch and saddle riding, SunSation Rodeo Flag Team, rodeo clowns and bull riding.

Insanity Fest takes over the stands from Saturday to Sunday, from September 28th to 29th, with two performances per day, at 2pm and 6pm.

Motorsports fans will be treated to monster truck battles, truck pulling competitions, the Full Boogie Tilt artist and the Blast from the Past jet truck.