Flex Your Fair Muscles At The Washington County Fair

It’s time to begin preparing for the Minnesota State Fair. A good way to get warmed up for what can seem like a marathon fair day is to do some sprints through a smaller venue.

The Washington County Fair is that perfect venue. And it’s this weekend!

For me, the Washington County Fair is like dipping a toe in the warm August waters of fair-dom. While the State Fair is a sun-up-to-sun-down adventure that can’t even be appreciated in just one day, the Washington County Fair is very doable in a few hours.

It can be just as much fun but with a bit less stress and drain on the pocketbook. It’s an opportunity to browse arts and crafts, build up your nasal tolerance to barn smells and taste test some cheese curds.

Gate admission is inexpensive—no more than $7. If you want to purchase advance carnival ride tickets (five rides for $10) or a gate admission season pass, you can do that today at the county fairgrounds office. And fair parking is free!

Gates open at 7 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Exhibit buildings are open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

You’ll see displays of needlework, woodwork, photography, produce and much more. You can catch musical performances, including a swing band, an Elvis Tribute show, a teen music event and my favorite, Zydeco Cajun music.

The Washington County Fair a great place to wander, pet or feed some farm animals and maybe get the kiddos a pony ride. It has a low-key feel with a lot of similar attractions to the big fair—without having to cover acres of ground or maneuver shoulder to shoulder with thousands of fellow Minnesotans.

It’s got a small town atmosphere where our family will probably bump into some Woodbury friends and neighbors, as well as meet local farmers and 4-H student achievers.

This year I’m most looking forward to the amateur talent show. Performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I’ll surely hear good singers. Maybe see good dancers or even jugglers. But it would be really awesome to catch a good accordion player! You just don’t see enough good accordion players anymore...

If you don’t mind the additional expense of grandstand admission, you can check out some of the other shows being presented this weekend at the Washington County Fair. There will be truck and tractor pulls, bull riding and a demolition derby. I bet my sons would love a demolition derby—that’s the name of their game pretty much daily around our house.

Summer slips away quickly and the Washington County Fair has a way of sneaking up on me in early August. So if you don’t like to miss it or haven’t yet checked it out, here’s your heads up. Grab a bit of cash, the baby stroller and some sunscreen and give your fair-going muscles a workout.

Because the biggest big daddy fair of all is just around the corner and you might need some practice.