Nationally renowned comedian Larry the Cable Guy and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Cheap Trick lead the top entertainment for the 109th Northwest Washington Fair, scheduled Aug. 12-17 in Lynden, WA.
Big crowds also are expected for the demolition derby, the Lynden PRCA Rodeo and classic country artist Mark Chesnutt. But the Northwest Washington Fair realizes its biggest stars are the animals and the people who raise them, according to manager Jim Baron.
“Thousands of people appreciate agriculture in Whatcom County due to all the farmers and 4-H and FFA members who exhibit with us,” Baron said. “Adults and children love seeing all the different animals, including draft horses, cows, goats, pigs and more!”
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 $14 for adults, $12 for seniors 62 and older and $9 for youth ages 6-12. Children 5 and younger are admitted for free.
Complimentary gate admission will be offered on Military Appreciation Day, Aug. 14, for all active duty, retired and veteran military personnel and their accompanying spouse and children. Families of deployed personnel will be provided complimentary gate admission with valid military identification.
Military Appreciation Day also will include participation by active-duty personnel and Veterans of Foreign Wars members in the free grandstand horse shows at noon and 4:30 p.m. A special flag ceremony will be held near the clock tower at 5:45 p.m. and a tribute to the armed forces will precede the Lynden PRCA Rodeo competition at 7 p.m.
“The Northwest Washington Fair Board, our staff and I have a tremendous amount of respect for those who have served in the armed forces for our country,” said fair manager Jim Baron. “Free gate admission on Aug. 14 for them and their families is one way we can express our gratitude.”
Discounted admission tickets (adults $12; seniors $10; youth $8) will be available July 24-Aug. 11 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 $99 – a savings of $23 – July 16-Aug. 11 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 action-packed demolition derby on Aug. 12 (shows at 12:30 and 7 p.m.). Then some of the top professional cowboys and cowgirls in the world will compete in bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping during the Lynden PRCA Rodeo at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and Aug. 14.
The Lynden PRCA Rodeo’s Aug. 13 show will be part of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign. Contestants, volunteers and spectators are encouraged to “wear pink” to raise awareness of breast cancer while local rodeo volunteers conduct fundraisers. Last year the Tough Enough to Wear Pink program in Lynden donated $50,000 to the PeaceHealth St. Joseph Cancer Center in Bellingham for cancer patient care and research.
The rodeo is followed by three top-flight entertainment acts, all at 7 p.m.: Larry the Cable Guy on Aug. 15, Mark Chesnutt on Aug. 16 and Cheap Trick on Aug. 17.
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 (360) 354-4111. VIP packages also are available for each performance. Grandstand tickets don’t include fair gate admission, which is required.
Amid plenty of fun and food options, Baron said the Northwest Washington Fair will remind fairgoers about healthy practices, such as washing hands and drinking plenty of fluids.
“An excellent preventive measure at any event is washing hands thoroughly and frequently,” Baron said. “We’ll have 24 hand-washing stations throughout the fairgrounds plus public restrooms.”
Other highlights of this year’s Northwest Washington Fair include:
For more information, visit www.nwwafair.com or call (360) 354-4111.
NOTE: Digital photos and bios for grandstand entertainers are available by contacting Dave Brumbaugh at (360) 296-5928 or brumbaughdave@comcast.net.
