City of Enumclaw agrees to take control of King County Fair in 2009

The oldest fair west of the Mississippi River would live on under new management in a preliminary agreement announced today between the City of Enumclaw and King County.

The city would take control of the 2009 King County Fair using approximately $311,000 in county funds – roughly the county’s annual subsidy to run the fair – in the one-year agreement, which still must be approved by the Metropolitan King County Council. It is expected that the county council will discuss the preliminary agreement in February.

The 2009 fair would be titled "The King County Fair – produced by the City of Enumclaw."

King County Executive Ron Sims said he is hopeful local management of the fair can help turn around attendance numbers that have fallen consistently over the past decade.

“We are pleased that Enumclaw is stepping up to manage the fair with new energy, and we look forward to supporting the city’s efforts to make the fair a success in 2009,” Sims said.

The county’s budget crisis and falling attendance prompted Sims last fall to recommend the county get out of the fair business. The county council decided when it approved the budget to restore funding to 2008 levels, and also called for a task force that will work to develop recommendations to make the fair a success.

“I commend the City of Enumclaw and county staff for working so hard to preserve a fair that has been a King County fixture for almost 150 years. It is a valued and integral part of our community and our agricultural heritage,” said County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who represents Enumclaw. “I look forward to working with the fair task force to ensure that the fair not only survives, but prospers.”

“I am excited to take on this challenging endeavor and genuinely want to be part of the solution providing a continued fair here in King County,” said Enumclaw Mayor John Wise.

“The 146 years of historic, educational, economic and recreational benefits of our fair are extremely important to our city’s citizens and to all citizens of King County. I am proud of our city council for accepting the responsibility and for having faith in our staff to produce a high-quality fair in this short amount of time.”

The county’s one-year agreement with Enumclaw would make it possible for the task force recommendations to be implemented for the 2010 fair, regardless of what entity runs the fair in 2010 and beyond.

The agreement gives the city control of all decisions regarding the timing, theme, vendors, entertainment and other aspects of the fair. The city must provide competitions for 4-H and FFA sufficient to allow participants to compete at the 4-H State Fair in Puyallup.

Under the agreement, the county would transfer all of the personal property used for the fair to the City of Enumclaw without charge. In addition to the county funding, the city is also eligible for roughly $37,000 in financial support from the State of Washington.

The King County Fair was founded in 1863. It began as a simple celebration of agriculture and originally took place in the Georgetown area south of Seattle. The King County Fair moved to Renton around 1900, and then to Enumclaw after World War II.