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Our Timeline

The King County Fair was founded in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln was president and the Washington Territory was 26 years from statehood! 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.

The King County Fair is an honest-to-goodness good old fashioned county fair - with quality family entertainment, animals, fun food, carnival rides & games, and hard working 4-H, FFA, and Open Class exhibitors. Grange displays and still life exhibits surrounded by farms in a picturesque setting in the shadow of Mt. Rainier.

The King County Fair attracts more than 60,000 visitors and the 12-month venue attracts nearly 180,000 guests throughout the calendar year by being a hosting facility for weddings, youth athletic groups, rodeos, 4-H show, festivals, markets, gun shows, memorials, and so much more!

In 2015, the grounds were taken over by a non-profit organization, Enumclaw Expo & Event Association who maintains the name for the oldest fair this side of Mississippi - The King County Fair. The grounds feature a number of historic buildings originally constructed for the 1962 World's Fair. The Field House is listed on the King County Historic Landmarks registry.

Enumclaw Expo Center is home to many long standing festivities such as the Scottish Highland Games, Olympic Kennel Club Dog Show, and the Enumclaw Pro Rodeo.


KING COUNTY FAIR HISTORY TIMELINE

1853-1901
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We have so much history to share with you! We have assembled a history timeline for your viewing.

Clicking on our photo gallery, on the right, allows you to scroll through the years.


A couple FUN facts:
  • King County Fair is the OLDEST Fair this side of the Mississippi (Fair est. 1863)
  • Buildings on the grounds came from the Seattle Worlds Fair....Elvis walked through our buildings!
  • Stadium seats at our Rodeo Arena are from the old Kingdome in Seattle
  • Existing ticket booth at the Football stadium and Rodeo arena are from the Kingdome
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