2025 Thurston County Fair kicks off Thursday. Here’s what’s new this year
The 2025 Thurston County Fair kicks off Thursday with a new four-day format packed with old and new activities.
The festivities last until Sunday at the Thurston County Fairgrounds located at 3054 Carpenter Road in Lacey. This year the fair is offering a mix of carnival rides, live entertainment, local agriculture, 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) showcases, classic fair foods and new food vendors, according to a county news release.
“We’re thrilled about this year’s fair,” Fairgrounds and Event Manager Thomasina Cooper said in a news release. “We’ve packed in something for everyone -- exciting new vendors, hands-on demos, baking contests, and great deals every day.”
The Olympian sat down with Cooper at the fairgrounds Wednesday to learn about what’s new this year. Visitors should quickly notice that there’s a new mascot this year, Disco Dave the peacock.
“He’s helping us bring the funk to the fair this year,” Cooper said.
The fair board decided on a peacock this year. For next year, Cooper said the fair will have an eagle as its mascot to celebrate the country’s 250th year.
Kids who attend the fair this year will have a chance to vote on the name for the eagle in the Deck Building. The options are Frankie, which is short for Franklin; Libby, which is short for Liberty; Captain Soar, and Colonel Beaks.
“Kids can come in and cast their ballots just like you would do at a real ballot box,” Cooper said. “So they have an opportunity to learn about voting as well as helping us name next year’s mascot.”
One significant change is the decrease in the number of fair days. Cooper said the fair board decided on that change in December. Instead of opening on Wednesday, they pushed the first day to Thursday.
“Thurston County Fair has consolidated to four days and moved from five,” Cooper said. “It will allow us to have more activities and more entertainment on the grounds during the time of the fair, which will make it more fun for our fair goers.”
Cooper said the change was not due to budgetary concerns but rather in response to changing times.
“The carnival industry has been really, really impacted by the pandemic and is still feeling that impact,” Cooper said. “Most carnivals went from multiple routes down to one or two routes. That includes Funtastic (Traveling Shows).”
Having fewer fair days also eases the burden on volunteers, Cooper said.
“There are hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who come in and participate in the fair. Almost all of them are working adults, so being able to take a little less time off work does make it more accessible for folks to be able to participate,” Cooper said.
Planning the fair is a full-time, year-round job, Cooper said. However, the activity at the fairgrounds really started picking up earlier this month.
“Starting in the beginning of July, the grounds start buzzing with activity because we’ve got folks coming in to do their setups in the barns or in the buildings,” Cooper said. “We’ve got folks coming in to do their entries … and then they’ve got judging going on.”
Bands that will perform at the Expo Stage this year include Nick Cain on Friday, Driftwood Drive on Saturday and Chris Guenther and the Honky Tonk Drifters on Sunday, Cooper said.
Organizers also added a big tent to the food court stage. Cooper said some animals will be brought onto that stage, including turkeys.
“We’re trying to increase the visibility of the kids’ projects that they’ve been working so hard on, and so one of the ways that we’re doing that is literally by putting them on stage so more people can see them,” Cooper said.
Costume contests for dogs, cats and rabbits also will be on the food court stage, she said.
“One of the things about fairs, fairs are the world’s largest classrooms,” Cooper said. “There’s plenty of opportunity for people to learn about all different things, whether they be attendees or whether they be participants.”
Additionally, Cooper said the fair will have a record number of animals in the Thurston County Youth Market Animal sale, an auction that occurs Saturday evening.
New food vendors include Chaotic Eats from Yelm, Jerky Juicy BBQ, Baskin-Robbins and Funnel of Love, she said. Scones, tacos, gyros and lemonade from years past also have returned, she added.
“We are just trying to maintain our important relationships with our long-time vendors and also balance that with bringing in new vendors and give them the opportunity to showcase their skills and their talents,” Cooper said.
The fair is not all just fun and games. Cooper said it’s also a key opportunity for people from urban and rural communities to meet and learn more about each other.
“The fair is a long tradition in our community and while it’s a fun event, it’s also really important to recognize the heart and center of agriculture in our community and the future of local agriculture,” Cooper said.
Fairgoers can take advantage of various deals over the four-day event.
- For Thrifty Thursday, the fair’s first day, attendees can pay $1 to enter if they provide a non-perishable food donation.
- For Wristband Friday, attendees can go on unlimited carnival rides for $50.
- On Saturday, first responders and military can enter for $2 with their relevant identification cards.
- For Youth Sunday, kids 6-12 can enter for just $2.
- Kids 5 and younger get in free every day.
More information about the fair and schedule can be found at www.thurstoncountyfair.org.
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
