It’s almost time for the Central Washington State Fair, with its traditional draws of midway rides and fun foods, exhibits and displays, and a variety of live performers.
The fair begins Friday and continues through Oct. 3. Last year’s fair was canceled — as were virtually all local events during the COVID-19 pandemic. This fair will look different as the pandemic continues. Fairgoers must wear masks to enter and keep them on outdoors and indoors, including on rides, according to an update posted on the fair’s website.
Effective Sept. 13, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a mask mandate for Washington state requiring masks be worn throughout the fair, indoors and outdoors. Masks will be available at entry for those who forget to bring one, and mobile hand washing/sanitation stations will be set up.
Grandstand and main stage events will also require masks; ticket refunds are not available unless a show is canceled.
Fair officials have made some changes to the concert series this year. All concerts require a paid reserved seat ticket, which includes fair admission. The fair’s concert series has long offered a reserved seating option with a premium ticket, but general admission was open to anyone at the fair. That’s no longer the case.
VIP concert experiences are also available.
All shows take place on the Main Stage at the south end of the fairgrounds, near the corner of Fair Avenue and Nob Hill Boulevard. Reserved seating is on the asphalt area in front of the Main Stage.
Buy tickets online at www.etix.com, at the State Fair Park Box Office, 1301 S. Fair Ave., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, or by phone at 800-514-3849. ADA accessible tickets are available over the phone or online. Call 509-965-3354 for assistance.
Shortly before each scheduled show, the ticket booth near the Main Stage will have tickets to sell, unless the show is sold out.
Here’s a rundown of the acts:
“A Tribute to Kool & The Gang”
Friday, 7:30 p.m. Hollywood Swinging will bring all the hits of Kool & The Gang from the 1970s and 1980s to the opening celebration of the fair.
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, also known as “Fluffy,” has headlined and sold out venues like Madison Square Garden and is one of the most-watched comedians on YouTube, according to a news release. He is on his “Beyond the Fluffy” world tour.
Los Fugitivos
Sunday, 4 p.m. Los Fugitivos dominated the ‘90s. Brothers Jaime and Edi Espinoza formed the band in 1985 as Grupo Kariño. But in 1991, with the addition of singer/keyboardist Roberto Nieto, the band became Los Fugitivos. Jose Torres opens.
The Frontmen Of Country
Monday, 7 p.m. The Frontmen Of Country features three singers who were the voices of three of the top country bands of the 1990s: Larry Stewart of Restless Heart; Tim Rushlow, formerly of Little Texas; and Richie McDonald of Lonestar.
Josh Turner
Tuesday, 7 p.m. From his 2003 platinum-selling debut “Long Black Train” to his 2017 Billboard No. 1 release “Deep South,” Josh Turner has scored multiple Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award nominations and has received six Inspirational Country Music Awards.
For KING & COUNTRY
Wednesday, 7 p.m. This amazing Christian band is a four-time Grammy award-winning Australian duo comprised of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone.
Cheap Trick
Sept. 30, 7 p.m. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have a nearly five-decade career that has earned them more than 40 international gold and platinum certifications, myriad awards and total record sales in excess of 20 million.
Cody Beebe & The Crooks
Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m. Cody Beebe & The Crooks are a Northwest staple known for their progressive rock take on country music — and for the local Chinook Fest. James Otto opens.
Classic Rock Tribute Fest
Oct. 2, 4 to 9:30 p.m. The Classic Rock Tribute Fest features classic rock from iconic bands that helped define the era in the 1970s and ’80s: Hysteria, a Def Leppard tribute band; Dr. Crüe, a Motley Crüe tribute band; Appetite for Deception, a tribute to Guns N’ Roses; and Hell’s Belles, an all-female AC/DC tribute band. Performance times are 4 p.m. for Hysteria, 5:15 p.m. for Dr. Crüe, 6:30 p.m. for Appetite for Deception and 8:10 p.m. for Hell’s Belles.
Luis Coronel
Oct. 3, 4 p.m. Luis Coronel, a hugely successful Latin music artist, was born in Tucson to Mexican parents and became a boxer in his teens. After a match he sang a song from the ring, and the response prompted him to focus on music.
