Food, fun and Foxworthy highlight Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden

A new carnival, plenty of fair food favorites and grandstand entertainers led by nationally popular comedian Jeff Foxworthy highlight the 108th Northwest Washington Fair, scheduled Aug. 13-18 in Lynden. This year’s fair also features the Lynden PRCA Rodeo, the always-popular demolition derby, the classic country sounds of brother duo High Valley and Bret Michaels, former frontman for iconic rock band Poison. But roots of the Northwest Washington Fair still are in agriculture, according to manager Jim Baron. “Thanks to all the farmers, FFA and 4-H members who bring us draft horses, cows, goats, pigs and more, thousands of people gain a better understanding and appreciation of agriculture in Whatcom County,” said fair manager Jim Baron. “And children love seeing all the different animals!” The Northwest Washington Fair, which annually draws close to 200,000 attendees each year, opens gates at 9 a.m. and closes them at 10 p.m. each day. The carnival is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Gate admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors 62 and older and $8 for youth ages 6-12. Children 5 and younger are admitted for free.

Discounted admission tickets (adults, $11; seniors, $9; youth, $7) will be available July 25-Aug. 12 at Haggen Northwest Fresh stores in Whatcom and Skagit counties and Peoples Bank branches in Whatcom County. Family value packs of two adult admission tickets, two youth admission tickets and two one-day carnival wristbands are offered for $95 – a savings of $23 – July 17-Aug. 12 exclusively at Little Caesars Pizza stores in Whatcom and Skagit counties. All-day carnival wristbands for $29 (regularly $38) also are available on those dates at Little Caesars Pizza. The Bank of the Pacific Grandstand Entertainment Series starts with the demolition derby on Monday, Aug. 13 (shows at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m.). The Lynden PRCA Rodeo then draws some of the top professional cowboys in the world for competition in bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14 and Wednesday, Aug. 15. The rodeo is followed by three top-flight entertainment acts, all at 7:30 p.m.: Bret Michaels on Thursday, Aug. 16; High Valley on Friday, Aug. 17; and Jeff Foxworthy on Saturday, Aug. 18. Tickets for all of the grandstand entertainment can be purchased at www.nwwafair.com and the fair office, 1775 Front St., Lynden, and by phone at (877) 699-FAIR. VIP packages also are available for each performance. Grandstand tickets don’t include fair gate admission, which is required. While everyone is having plenty of fun, the fair also will be emphasizing healthy practices, such as washing hands and drinking plenty of fluids. “Whether at the fair or anywhere else, an excellent preventive measure is washing hands thoroughly and frequently,” Baron said. “We’ll have 24 hand-washing stations throughout the fairgrounds in addition to public restrooms.” Other highlights of this year’s Northwest Washington Fair include:

• The region’s largest provider of carnival rides and games, Funtastic Traveling Shows, will be in Lynden. More than 3 million people, including attendees of the Washington State Fair in Puyallup and the Oregon State Fair, visit Funtastic Traveling Shows each year.
• Children 10 and younger can get free tickets to the Lynden PRCA Rodeo by going to the fair office or a CHS Northwest retail store in Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham or Nooksack by Aug. 12.
• The trick-roping, whip-cracking antics and comedy of Karen Quest will be on display on the Banner Bank Festival Stage and while she is walking around the fairgrounds. Magician Louie Foxx also will be performing throughout the fairgrounds when he isn’t on the Banner Bank Festival Stage, which offers entertainment daily from late morning through the evening.
• The Wenatchee Youth Circus, “The Biggest Little Circus in the World,” returns with high-wire and flying trapeze artists, fire acts and aerial feats. Characters Elsa and Anna from “Frozen” will be meeting fairgoers the last three days of the fair.
• Hundreds of cows, horses, pigs, sheep and more will be exhibited by local farmers and 4-H and FFA youth.

The schedule of featured grandstand performances follows (prices don’t include fair gate admission, which is required):

• Monday, Aug. 13 – Demolition Derby. Reserved grandstand tickets are $10 for the 12:30 p.m. show and $18 for the 7:30 p.m. show.
• Tuesday, Aug. 14, and Wednesday, Aug. 15 – Lynden PRCA Rodeo, 7:30 p.m.; $15 for ages 11 and older ($12 tickets available through Aug. 12 while supplies last at all Whatcom County CHS Northwest retail stores).
• Thursday, Aug. 16 – Bret Michaels, 7:30 p.m.; preferred seats, $30; reserved seats only $5 courtesy of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 191 and offered on a limited first-come, first-served basis with gate admission into the fair.
• Friday, Aug. 17 – High Valley, 7:30 p.m.; preferred seats, $20; general admission, free festival seating courtesy of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 191 and offered on a limited first-come, first-served basis with gate admission into the fair.
• Saturday, Aug. 18 – Jeff Foxworthy, 7:30 p.m.; reserved seats, $35 (preferred seats sold out).

For more information, visit www.nwwafair.com or call (360) 354-4111.