Community Corner

Snohomish County's Largest Fair Sets Attendance and Revenue Records

The Evergreen State Fair in Monroe pulls in almost $1.4 million during its 12-day run.

The Evergreen State Fair, the largest annual event held in Snohomish County and one of the biggest in the Northwest, set a new record this year for on-site gate admission and parking revenues totaling nearly $1.4 million.

In addition, the fair in Monroe collected more than 50,000 pounds of non-perishable food items during two Fridays of the 12-day fair, in support of local food banks throughout Snohomish County.

Preliminary gate and parking numbers show revenues totaling $1,388,490, surpassing the previous record collection of $1,368,846 set in 2007. Good weather also attributed to higher-than-expected receipts at vendors such as the iconic Purple Cow. The Snohomish County Dairy Women’s Association, which operates the Purple Cow, had their second best year during its 51-year history with $64,300 in gross receipts. Butler Amusements also reported near-record gross receipts on carnival rides and amusements.

Find out what's happening in Edmondswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The Evergreen State Fair couldn't happen without the terrific support of volunteers, organizers with 4H and FFA, and our dedicated parks staff,” said Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said. “Warm, sunny weather – of which we’ve missed during recent years of the fair – doesn’t hurt either.”

This year’s highlights included major improvements to the Evergreen Speedway, the opening of the new Evergreen Event Center, ride upgrades including state-of-the-art LED lighting, top music acts such as the Band Perry and OneRepublic and the opportunity for talented folks from around the region to showcase products and to celebrate the area’s agricultural roots.

Find out what's happening in Edmondswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fair planners scheduled special pricing or free entry during eight of the 12 days of the fair. Keeping with the “Hungry for Fun” theme, each person who brought three non-perishable food items was granted free admission on Fridays as part of the “Friday Food Bank Frenzy.”  Six days had discounts or were free for seniors and children. More than 20,000 people took advantage of the discounts or free and reduced fair opportunities.

Another key element to this year’s success was a marketing plan generated through a new partnership between Snohomish County and the new Evergreen Speedway operator, High Road Promotions.

The 12-day Evergreen State Fair generates more than 70 percent of the annual revenue collected at the fairgrounds.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Edmonds