The fair gives you the opportunity to challenge yourself. Wow! I had many very scary experiences so far today -- by going on two rides that I would not have gone one except for the urging of Sondra. One was Jumping, which takes you up, spins you around, waves you around in the air, lulls your into thinking you're going to stop. Just when you do, you're taken back up in an instant and spun some more until you gradually go down. The other was Fireball, which takes you up and makes you think you're going to hit the other cars, other people, and the trees. as we went up spinning and couldn't see anything even though it should be a great view, my friend Sondra loudly screamed "I can't see because of the stupid snow!!" It might be the last weekend of summer, but there definitely wasn't snow. Just a lot of rain.

So far, two thumbs up for the fair, and six raindrops down for the weather!! Would have shared a photo but the card reader isn't connected. Sorry folks!

Hello again...over the years I have learned the hard way that thrill rides are the first thing you do at the fair...before gorging. the Extreme Zone rides next to the green gate will jolt even the most hardened thrill seekers. I consider myself hardened yet could not resist screaming on the extreme scream. If you're with a friend it's even better (purchase one extreme scream ticket and you get a second one free...you heard it from me). I've heard Turbo Force is pretty crazy too.

After the thrills you'll be hot and thirsty so treat yourself to delicious dryers ice cream just up the green gate path.If you're starving I've talked to several people who told me that one of the most economical and filling meals at the fair is BBQ Pete's, on the green gate path across from the Communities In Schools "flying bus" and stage. Great taste and filling, a full meal with corn will feed two people. Speaking of Communities In Schools, I have had the good fortune of enlisting students to perform on stage. So be sure to wander over there after 4:00 today and take in the singers, dancers, choirs and more.

If you like oldies, Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons are on tonight at the main stage at 7:30. SO much to do...see you in a few.
Dave

If you have children, I suggest two trips. One for the kids and one for you!! Kids are not so much into the arts and crafts part of the fair, but they are into the rides, food and games.

This might cause a little change in moods with the kids when you take them off the rides, to look at the arts and crafts, the Pavilion has to offer (and lots of other little booths). Likewise, this might cause a change in moods with the parents when they are not able to (peacefully) look at the arts and crafts because the kids are screaming to go back on the rides!!

I suggest two trips. One for the kids and one for the parents. When you bring the kids, get out of the mindset of looking at all the stuff you like, instead, agree to the rides and games they are so excited to go on. The second trip, the kids need to stay home and the parents need to go!!! This time, it's all about them and they can do what they want and enjoy every minute of it!!!

Michelle Vestal

Silly Ville is just that, lots of kids being silly. This is the new kids park and it's GREAT!! Lots of kids rides and lots of food booths around to feed those hungry kids!!!

Kids get excited to go from ride to ride and with them being right there in one central location, it's a lot less walking for both parents and kids.

Before you enter the fair, ensure you speak to your children about what to do if they get lost. Make sure they know to find a Police Officer and NEVER talk to strangers. If they are old enough, make sure you find a meeting place if you get lost from each other. This might make your time here a little less stressful when it comes to the fear of losing your child or children.

Michelle Vestal

The Extreme Scream is just that!! Everyone is extremely excited while standing in line, but once they are on the ride, all smiles of happiness are gone, soon to be replaced with complete fear of what was coming!! After a couple LOUD screams, the ride is over and everyone is back to smiling again!! WHAT A RUSH!!

Michelle Vestal

Last Monday was AWESOME! We were here all day. The rides were only 1$ each ride. My Mom and I went onto the Scrambler. I screamed and screamed and then laughed a lot. My Mom turned green just like her eyes. I squished into her and that made the ride even more fun.

Friday was the Parent Child cookie bar contest. We made peanut butter and jam brownies with white chocolate. You can view the entries upstairs in the Pavilion. We did not win this year but there's always next year.

Today I will help Mom demonstrate scrap-booking. I will tell more about that later, after we are done.

Quianna Brown

The view from up here is amazing! It's not so bad really...whoosh I couldn't even scream! All of a sudden I was falling. I really hope I didn't pee myself! I'm not sure if that was fun, but my heart sure is beating fast.

I've ridden every ride here at the fair. My favorites include the haunted house (I went 3x)and the roller coaster

It's gotten busy and the lines are longer everywhere. I'm headed home after a dizzying day of rides, fried foods and gorgeous weather.

Have a great week everyone and I hope you come down to the fair this week!

P.S.
Sorry you couldn't make it Sonnie but we can go another day. My love to Zayin and Arrianna!

It's pretty hot today, a great day to wander the fair. I highly recommend getting down here if you can!

I've ridden about every ride here at the fair today. I'll be headed over to the Extreme Scream next. It's a towering spike of metal with an elevator that takes you to the top then drops you in a free fall. I should mention, I have sort of a thing for heights. I even get squirrely on the Ferris wheel when you get stuck at the top

I did take a break and wander over to the 4H barn. I love the dogs, who seemed happy to see all the people. I don't get the whole 4H cat thing. I love cats but the ones at the fair seemed a little annoyed to be caged up with people staring at them. My favorite comic strip is Get Fuzzy, and I can imagine Fuzzy plotting some sort of revenge on any humans that dared make him a 4H cat.

My favorite food of the day is the Young Life terryaki...mmmmm! I was tempted to try the turkey leg but it seemed a bit to much for me today. For the older crowd, I highly recommend the Park Bistro for a little wine tasting.

Ok, I've stalled enough...time for some Extreme Scream!!!!

-Marcus Bouma

Click Click Click...the anticipation builds...click click click ascending up, up to the very peak...click click click...then for a moment I'm weightless and free. The roller coaster car plunges to earth and a scream erupts from my lips. For anyone in the vicinity of the roller coaster around noon, no that was not a screaming 6th grade girl. (Maybe I should have blogged about kittens after all)

It's Military Appreciation Day today...so here's a shout out to all the brave men and women or our armed forces! It's nice to see the respect our solders, sailors, airmen and marines receive. Everywhere they go I see people stopping to shake their hands and thank them for their service.

The Dizzy Pass really is a good deal, if you go early. The lines are short, I've been on about a dozen rides so far. My advise...skip school, work, whatever and be a kid again!

Now an insiders note, I came very close to losing the key to the fair blogging office on the Zipper. The Zipper spins vertically then you have a little steering wheel inside that you can control your horizontal spin. Since I was solo, I got into the car with a 14 year old maniac. He kept spinning the wheel faster and laughing hysterically. I'm not proud of it, but I may have threatened him. At some point in the blur of spinning a neon green object flew bye. I realized it was the office key and managed to grab it before it was flung into the void.

I'm saving the extreme scream for last.

I did stop by the Seahawks gear booth and asked for a free hat. They owe me something after making me watch yesterday's game. Ryan Plackemeier should have his own fair booth with a dunk tank for charity...but that's for a different blog.

-Marcus Bouma

A blazing sun burns in a pale blue September sky. The air is perfumed with grilled onions and the alluring scent of Pete's BBQ. It's fair time along the Puyallup river.

Many electrons have been written here about fuzzy animals, tasty treats, $7 strawberry shakes, and crude t-shirts (I have seen some really crude ones). Today your intrepid blogger will take an extreme adventure, riding the dizzy pass. That's right, $25 of nausea inducing unlimited rides. Make no mistake, I'm not the adventure seeking, sky diving, adrenaline junkie type. I prefer life on the midway, winning a pretty girl a 6 foot purple hippo. Alas, duty calls, and you need an insiders view of the fair rides.

Like any adventurer I started out the day with a healthy and nutritious breakfast...a Krusty pup from the Sales family and an ice cold lemonade. I may regret that Krusty latter.

-Marcus Bouma

It's been a great day at the Puyallup Fair. If you didn't come out today, I encourage that you do tomorrow because it's the last day.

I'll Just leave you with some recommendations of the rides that I went on. The white roller coaster is a must of course -- I went on it twice. The line -- which surpassed the space allowed -- went by rather smoothly, no more than a 20 minute wait. The giant slide is another must. Even if you aren't a slide person, you have to at least go listen to the "Do the Puyallup" song to brush up on the lyrics. And, in case you were wondering, it is 106 steps to the top of the slide. My final recommendation would be the ferris wheel, but with one catch. Wait until it gets dark because then everything is lit up beautifully, and you can see it all from the top.

Well, I had my fiesta corn -- which costs $3.50 an ear -- and I'm ready to call it a day. I hope you enjoyed "Do[ing] the Puyallup" with me today, and that you come out tomorrow to celebrate the closing of the fair. I'll be here with a few friends to see the Jonas Brothers in concert.

One last thing. One of the next big events at the fair comes this October. It's called Oktoberfest. It originated in Munich, Germany, and from what I'm seeing right now out of the window, it looks like a lot of fun. Oktoberfest will run October 5-7.

- By Lauren Smith

It's odd to me, now. I kept thinking to myself, "This just isn't as fun as it used to be."

When I was six or seven, I lived for the rides--when I was at the fair. Now, at 17, sometimes it just doesn't seem worth it. It doesn't seem worth my time to wait in line for 15 minutes to ride a roller coaster that I'm only on for all of about two seconds.

Now, this is not to say that once I'm on the ride I don't like it. I do. It just seems to me that the fair should find ways to appeal to people of all ages. Or even make the rides bigger and capable of holding more people to shorten the wait time.

-By Matt Anderson